Dangerous Associations
by thebluetxrtle
Summary: New York was New York; everybody minded their own business and nothing interesting ever happened to those who lived in the smaller parts. Until 16-year-old Audrey Jackson finds a green and glowing canister in a dark alleyway. And that wasn't even the most startling discovery. Her stubbornness had the potential to get her killed. [updates every Saturday]
1. Chapter One: Curiosity Killed The Cat

**CHAPTER ONE**

New York City; a bipolar city. There's always more to something than meets the eye and this was no special case. As extravagant as it's skyscrapers were, it had to confess to the crime ridden corners. But the vision of a socialite could not match that of a citizen down below.

Murakami's noodle shop was a needle in a haystack; it was the gold wound from straw by Murakami himself. It was just past midnight when the last of the customers left Murakami's noodle shop. A single girl remained, flipping chairs over and placing them on their tables, sweeping the floor beneath. She did her work carefully and with ease, her tired arms refusing to give in until the last dish was dried and safely put away. Anyone watching could tell that she took her work seriously. That or the fact that she dreaded going home.

" Audrey, I have told you time after time that it is unnecessary for you to stay so late. " Murakami frowned, facing her from behind the counter. She smiled tiredly and leaned against a table, amazed by the accuracy of a blind man's ears.

" And _I_ have told you that I don't mind. It's not like I have anything else to do, " she explained, using the same excuse that she always did.

Her words weren't entirely true. She was only sixteen years old and she _did _happen to attend school five days a week. However, since Sean worked all hours of the day to support them, it had become awfully lonely in their empty apartment. He was her official guardian, but no one knew that they rarely even saw each other. No one cared enough to find out. For Audrey, keeping herself busy was an escape from the memories her parents left behind in their apartment.

" Ah, yes. There is nothing for you to do, not even sleep before you walk to school in seven hours, " he said nonchalantly, wiping his knife as the amusement bled through his voice. Audrey smiled though she was confused. She hadn't told him the time, so how did he even know?

Audrey pushed herself off the table and picked her bag up off the ground, throwing it over her shoulder. Once she got to the front door she turned around and bid him farewell.

" Goodnight, Murakami. " She chuckled at his last words, locking the door behind her. Audrey adjusted the strap of her bag before continuing down the street.

Despite living in the rather _darker_ parts of New York City, Audrey avoided trouble well. She wasn't stupid. Stay close to the park and avoid the alleyways were the two golden rules and she obeyed them every night.

Until tonight.

Something green glowed brightly out of the corner of her eye, pulling her attention to the opposite side of the street. Of course, though streetlamps lit her path, it wasn't a hard thing to spot in the dark. It hummed loudly from where it was and looked ever so appealing. Audrey looked both ways; no one else was around. She found it weird that no one had investigated the strange object before her.

Audrey took a few strong steps towards it before shaking her head in disdain; what was she doing? She knew better - this could be some kind of drug or chemical. At sixteen years old she knew not to touch a potential danger.

Yet curiosity overthrew logic.

Tossing her sometimes obnoxiously long hair away from her face, Audrey picked up the large capsule, analyzing it.

The neon green substance hummed in her hands, moving around inside and she felt compelled to hide it. So she did, stuffing it in the cluttered abyss of her bag before continuing on her way. Audrey thought nothing of it, she was used to finding cool things around the city sometimes, strange as it may sound.

She rounded on her corner of their dark street; the children had gone inside hours ago. Her keys jangled but before she could stuff them into the lock, the door to her apartment creaked open ominously.

_Turn around, Audrey_, her mind implored as she stared at the door in shock, but she knew she couldn't leave. Fear froze her before she took a deep breath and tightened her grip around the humming capsule. She gently kicked the door open with her foot and entered her once safe home.

" Sean? " she called out hesitantly, turning on the lights. " You here? "

Audrey shut the door behind her and tossed the capsule carelessly onto the couch, her backpack following after. She was grabbing a snack from the fridge when she realized that he hadn't responded.

" Sean? " she called curiously, louder now as she pulled her head away from the refrigerator. Audrey left the kitchen and walked into his bedroom.

Her first theory had been _tornado_, even though it was a ridiculous idea. Everything - from the pictures hung on the wall to the ripped up carpet down below - had been demolished. Audrey's school portrait in particular had two large slashes through it, symbolizing an X.

A threat.

She did not have time to think about what had happened - the slightest creak of the stairs alerted her senses.

There was someone else in their home.

Fear seized her body and she could barely force herself to grab Sean's baseball bat and hide behind the bedroom door. She calmed herself down enough that her breathing couldn't be heard, and clutched the feeble weapon until her fingers went white.

Then the door shut as the intruder entered, and Audrey screamed, bringing her bat down on the creature.

" Ow! " it shouted in surprise, sounding much like a teenager. It - or rather _he _by the looks of it - clutched his forehead in pain, his other hand catching her bat at the second strike. Audrey's eyes widened in disbelief and she dropped it, squirming around him and running past the door, her heart beating a hundred miles per hour.

" Woah, where do you think you're going? " someone said as she ran into him. If it was possible, her eyes widened even more, painfully so as she trailed them up _the giant turtle's torso_. A red mask hid his identity as he glared down at her, intimidation positively radiating from him.

" Raphael! " the turtle from her bedroom snapped, having recovered and walked up behind her. " Don't frighten her. "

" Yeah, because you did that _for_ me, _Leonardo! _" he snorted, folding his arms and focusing on the other turtle.

Bewildered, Audrey squeezed past him and ran downstairs, only to find two more.

" Hi! " one of them chirped happily, waving at her. Her eyes widened and she finally passed out, her body crumpling to the ground. 

* * *

><p>" Why haven't we left yet? Let's just take the mutagen and go! "<p>

" Really, Raph? We don't _know_ where it is, and besides, we can't just leave her like this! "

" Why not? We make her tell us and then we leave; it's a simple tactic, Leo. " Then came the sound of fist hitting palm.

" That is why you aren't the leader, " he said coldly. " You act before you think. How could you ever harm _her?_ "

Audrey pondered their words, them unaware that they could be heard. But not for long.

" She's awake! " one of them exclaimed, running over to her. Audrey groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

" Hi, I'm Mikey, " he smiled down at her. " What's your name? "

She blinked, taking in his bright face and orange mask. Audrey pulled her knees in and hugged herself. " Audrey, " she mumbled, not sure if it was the fear of the large turtles seizing her heart or the panic of discovering that her brother was gone. Kidnapped, by the looks of it.

_Or dead_. She winced at the thought. Tears began to fall but she didn't know why she was crying. He was _Sean_, there was no way that the stubborn boy could be dead.

They caught a glimpse of her tears before she wiped them dry.

" Someone's after you, Audrey. Do you have anyone else to stay with for awhile? " Leo said gently, looking at her with concern. His large three-fingered hand touched her knee in a kind gesture, and she smiled half-heartedly.

" No, but I think I'll be fine on my own, " she said, hoping that her words meant more than the way she felt on the inside.

" Good! You heard her, Leo, let's go, " said Raph, already out the door. Then he turned around and looked her in the eyes. " We'll be back for that mutagen; you better not lose it. "

With Audrey staring at their shells, the ninja turtles left her home silently, locking the door behind them. A quivering sigh was exhaled as she closed her eyes and fell asleep on the couch, hiding all her fears in one dream.


	2. Chapter Two: Intruders In The House

**CHAPTER TWO**

**A**udrey felt weird going to school the next day. She was careful about the way she walked, and paranoid for really no reason. What was there to be afraid of? If anything, she knew that she wouldn't be going through the alleyways anymore. She was foolish to do so in the first place anyways.

She kept her head bowed down as she entered the school, a gust of warmth blowing in her face. High school. Not as bad as the movies made it out to be. If you were pretty and social, you were someone. If you weren't. . .well, you were no one to be bothered with, Audrey thought grimly as she forced her way to her locker.

Of course, she couldn't really complain. It wasn't like she made an effort to be friends with anyone. She just didn't trust people anymore. It was easier for everyone that way. She didn't need anyone - anyone except her brother.

Lost in her thoughts, Audrey attempted to enter the classroom at the same time as someone else, making their books fall out of their arms.

" I'm sorry - " she apologized immediately, turning to her victim and speaking more words than anyone had ever heard her speak. While Audrey was more of a silent observer, this was one group she hadn't made the effort to remember their names. The girl she bumped into scowled at her while a boy picked up her books for her.

" Watch where you're going, " she snarled, shoving past Audrey as she walked into the classroom, her laughing friends following after.

Audrey sighed and rolled her eyes, taking her seat at the back of the room.

The time went by as smoothly as any other day, and she was beginning to believe that the trashing of her home had never really happened. Cleaning it up late at night, however, was going to be a pain.

" Hey, Audrey, " April said, taking her seat next to her in Chemistry. Audrey was happy to see that they were only an hour away from three o'clock.

" Hi, " she sighed, letting her emotions fall into the single word. April stared at her tentatively, looking like she wanted to say something to her; was it possible that she could have noticed the change in Audrey? No way!

" Are you alright? " she asked, taking out her notebook and pencil. Audrey did the same,

" Of course, " she lied. " Why do you ask? "

" Because you don't look like it. "

They turned to face the board simultaneously as their teacher began the lesson, Audrey pondering the girl's words the entire lesson.

Business was always slow at work, giving her plenty of time to complete her homework in between orders. They served a few customers now, Audrey watching their entertained faces before they ate and left. Well, watching a blind man cook before your very eyes was rather amazing.

" You seem happier, Audrey, " he said suddenly, turning to face her. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion; how did he do that? Well, his ears were definitely amazing. . .but that didn't explain it all. She barely even made a noise!

" What do you mean? I'm always like this. "

She doodled on her homework now, feeling nervous. Why hadn't she told anyone about the turtles? Admittedly, she hadn't really thought much of them throughout the day, but now that she was going home, where she would be alone once more. . .

" No, you are not. " Simple, and to the point.

Audrey looked up and stared at him, but he said no more.

Her shift ended early today, at ten this time, and she bid Murakami goodbye before he could offer to walk her. She heard the old man's sigh before the door shut behind her. Evidently, there was a thing or two she didn't know about her employer.

She walked through the cold wind and took the longer route home this time. She was half frozen by the time she made it there, and this time the door was shut. The only problem was - the door was unlocked. She always locked the door before leaving the house.

Always.

_Baseball bat, baseball bat, baseball bat_, she thought, finding it behind the door.

Rustling could be heard coming from the kitchen, and low, chattering voices.

Audrey breathed deeply before she ran in with the bat raised over her head, and was already bringing it down when she realized who the intruders were.

" You really like to hit me, " he chuckled, catching and releasing the bat as she pulled it away. She huffed and leaned it against the wall, folding her arms expectantly. She glared at the turtle, noticing the weapons on the back of his shell for the first time. Giant turtles had been enough of a shock the first night, her mind didn't deem it important enough to notice the details.

" What are you doing here? " she asked fiercely, realizing that she was more herself whenever she wasn't in the eye of the public. Regardless, it was something to suppress.

" We still need the mutagen, " one of them growled at her.

" Yeah, but - " she stopped and changed tactics, eagerly pushing herself off the walls. " What is it anyways? Some type of drug? "

Audrey watched them exchange looks and she knew she'd receive either the truth or a lie.

" Something that will harm you if you don't give it to us, " said the turtle in red. She narrowed her eyes at him; he really did not like her. _Ditto to that,_ she thought.

" Raph, seriously! " the one in purple exclaimed. " Stop. Talking! "

He snorted but said nothing more. Silence fell over the kitchen as they stared at her, and Audrey didn't feel nearly as scared as she had been when she met them. Realistically, if they wanted to hurt her (well, 'Raph' here certainly did), they would have already. She was still processing how bizarre it was to find_ giant talking turtles in her home_, but she was getting by.

" That's not exactly descriptive, " she frowned finally, making them sigh, and Audrey could now hear the slightest bit of frustration now.

" You're very clever, " the turtle mused, sounding as though he was observing her rather than complimenting her. " I'm Leo. Master Splinter would be upset if he knew we hadn't introduced ourselves - I mean, seeing as you already know about our existence. This is Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. "

The turtle with the orange bandana and freckles grinned and waved at her.

" Er, Audrey. . .As you know, " she said quietly. Then she cleared her throat, and they all heard the change in her voice as she asked her next questions. " So what is this stuff, really? Obviously it's harmful, why else would you want it back? I know you wouldn't come to me for it if you didn't care about it harming me. . .or anyone else. "

At least she hoped her assumptions were correct.

" That's true, " said Donatello, a small smile growing on his face. " Hi, I'm Donnie. That's Mutagen and. . .that's all I can really tell you. "

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, obviously feeling very awkward.

Audrey huffed but continued, determined to get some answers. Not to mention that she was hoping to get to know the odd creatures some more; if they were a threat to humans, they weren't getting what they needed from her.

" Yes, but what does it _do?_ Because you can't seriously be telling me that if I chose to take a gulp of this gunk that it wouldn't harm me, " she said pressingly, trying to siphon as much information from them as she could.

" I don't know, maybe you should find out," Raphael said threateningly, fed up as he took a step towards her. Leo rounded on him,

" That's _enough_, Raphael, I think you need to go back to the lair, " he ordered. " I'll handle this myself."

" _Now_, " he added, moving to block Audrey from his view.

The large turtle glared at his leader before stomping out the door.

" Sorry about him, he's such a bummer, " Mikey grinned.

" I hadn't noticed, " she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. " Apart from his oh-so-subtle hints for me to try it just for kicks, he seems like a totally great guy. . . Turtle. "

The three chuckled, following their brother out the door. Leo was the last to leave, hesitating as he turned around.

" Thanks, Audrey, " he smiled.

" For what? " she asked, a reluctant smile growing on her face.

" For being so understanding. "

" It's surprising me too, " she said with a humorless laugh, running a hand through her tangled hair. " Bye. "

Once they had gone, Audrey collapsed on the couch with a sigh.

One thing was for certain; she was going to learn more about these talking turtles.


	3. Chapter Three: Learning About Mutagen

**CHAPTER THREE **

**A**udrey knew she was strange, but how could _anyone_ forget about their confrontation with _talking turtles? _The same ones she wanted to learn more about? Well, needless to say, it had been an exhausting day for her; Murakami's noodle shop had been packed! They seldom had a dinner rush, but when they did, two people managing a shop was no match for their swarm of hungry customers.

She had the longer route home, regrettably, but there was no way she was being mugged again. It was nice to be among the people anyways, even if they didn't always appreciate her presence. Twisting her key in the lock, instead of being submerged into total darkness, the house was lit and. . .something was on the stove?

" What's up, dudette? " Mikey said nonchalantly as she let out a scream of fear and dropped her things, running over to him. In one pot noodles were being boiled, and in another, sauce was cooling off.

" You're. . .making spaghetti? You know how to use a stove? " she questioned, calming down her heart rate. They weren't going to blow her house to kingdom come. What a nice positive. The smell wafted over to her nose and made her stomach growl. Audrey blushed as the four looked at her in amusement. " What? I haven't eaten all day. "

" Mind setting the table, Audrey? Then we could. . .talk while we eat, " Mikey suggested, making his brothers stare at him in awe. They didn't know what he was planning up until now. She stared at the clever as well for a few moments.

" Fine, " she said grudgingly, opening the cupboards.

Audrey reached up towards the top shelf on the tips of her toes and slowly grabbed each plate one by one. The last one, however, slipped out of her strained hand and gravity made it head for the floor. " Shit! " she cursed instantly, spinning around on her toes. But one of the turtles had caught it.

" Here, " Leo said warmly, putting it back on her stack of five plates.

" Thanks, " she muttered, not looking at him as she set the table.

Ten minutes and five servings of spaghetti eaten later (though their servings were at animalistic proportions), everyone began to wind down. Yet no one had spoken a single word. It was almost as if they didn't _want_ to discuss the mutagen yet. They needed to butter her up some more. Expecting this, Audrey folded her arms, as if the gesture might protect her. Of course, this didn't change the fact that she was curious about what they had to say, who they even were, and what the mutagen was.

" Where to begin! " Donnie exclaimed, eyeing her with curiosity.

" The Kraang are the creators of a substance called mutagen - the green stuff in the canister you have. It mutates creatures into. . .something else. We're not sure what they're planning to do with it. It's what created us to be who we are today fifteen years ago. "

" Wow, " she breathed.

" Canisters have been dropped all over New York city and we're gathering them all before the harm can be done, " he finished, almost looking at her expectantly. But she was still indecisive. They could all see this, and for some reason, it pissed Raphael off the most.

" We don't have time to hang around _her _all day! " he suddenly exploded, standing up and dropping his fists on the table. Audrey shrunk in her seat, appalled. Maybe she had been right in the first place, and they were hiding who they really were in the first place in order to get the drug back from her. She let out a whimper, retreating behind her hair; it'd be even worse if they were telling the truth about it and planned on using it on her as soon as they got it back. She was fine with just being human.

" Dammit, Raphael! " Leo shoved him out of the kitchen. " Get outta here! "

He was beginning to think that Raph had crippled their progress, and it only took one look at Audrey's frightful state to realize that he was right.

" Audrey, look - " he started.

" No! " she said, tears blurring her vision as she stood up, her hair falling back as she pointed to the door. " Get out! "

" No, I'm sorry, but we _can't_, " he said apologetically. " The mutagen is harmful, Audrey! If you accidentally pour it down the sink or even get it on yourself, you'll change! "

" Then I won't dump the crap! I don't even get why I'm believing you in the first place. You're giant fucking _turtles _for crying out loud! " she snapped, staring at Leo.

Guilt filled her insides when the smallest turtle, Mikey, frowned, obviously upset. Upon his return, Raphael saw this, and they all saw the anger boiling inside of him. Audrey knew it was a reckless thing to say, but her anger remained.

Before anyone knew it, he was pinning her against the wall, struggling to remain aware of his actions. Audrey let out a moan of pain, gasping for breath like a fish out of water.

No words came from Leonardo, who immediately pulled him off of her. They all understood the reasoning behind his actions, even Audrey. However, Audrey was not a mutant nor a ninja, so her body was not accustomed to pain.

" Get out, Raphael! " Leo said angrily, standing in front of Audrey protectively. Mikey and Donnie ran to her aid and she accepted it this time, though there was not much she could do in the way of defending herself had she made any other decision. She coughed and spluttered, trying to gain back her oxygen.

* * *

><p>" I'm sorry. "<p>

They were back in the kitchen now, with Donnie tending to her wounds, small as they were. She hissed as he pressed against the bruise on her lungs; these turtles were stronger than they appeared, despite being the size of a human being.

" Sorry, sorry, " he apologized again with sincerity. Audrey shook her head, rejecting his apology.

" It's my fault, " she admitted, running a hand through her hair. " I was being stupid, I provoked him. "

Mikey stopped fiddling with her hands and looked up at her. He seemed to feel nervous, now. No doubt that it was because she had identified them as talking, giant turtles. Not of a human nature, like her.

Audrey realized this and hesitated. " I'm sorry. . .Mikey. I didn't mean it. I was being an asshole, and that's not okay. "

She took his hand and squeezed it lightly. His mouth grew into a smile and his cheeks went red.

" Where's. The. Mutagen? "

The three looked to the living room. Raphael and Leonardo had returned. Leo shot a warning look at his brother, but as always, he was ignored. His anger was unnecessary and it bothered her.

" In a safe place, " she said, standing up and looking him in the eye. She knew she was being too cocky, especially towards someone who could snap her neck with no problem, but she also knew that there was no way the others would let him harm her any further.

" We're leaving soon, " said Leo, looking back and forth between the two before his eyes settled on Audrey. " And you're right, I get it; you know it's harmful and there's no reason to entrust us with it. You're smart, Audrey Jackson. Take a seat and I'll explain. "

She stared back at him coldly, feeling indignant that he would tell her to take a seat in her own house, but obeyed nonetheless.

" The substance in the canister is called Mutagen. It was created by aliens - hear me out and don't laugh, " he scolded before continuing. " It was created by aliens called the Kraang. We've studied and learned about them but as far as we know: they haven't perfected it yet. It changes ordinary things into mutants - like us. "

" I'd hate to think about what would happen if they had perfected it, which they'll do one day. " Donnie shivered.

" That's - wow. " She blinked. The turtles stood up and prepared to leave once more. " Will I ever. . .see one of these creatures? The Kraang? "

" Let's hope not, " said Leo sternly, opening the window. Raphael, she noticed, had managed to go the entire time without saying a word. One by one the four turtles left her apartment; if she hadn't been watching them herself, Audrey would have never known that they had left.

**EDITED: 11/9/2014**

**WORD COUNT: 1409**

**Please Read & Review! :) I'd really like to know how I'm doing! Updates are every Monday, so sorry for this late one. i'm trying to keep a updated schedule, so i'll try to work it out. i'm taking the PSATS today at school -_- so that sucks.**


	4. Chapter Four: New Friends

**CHAPTER FOUR **

" **M**iss Jackson! "

Ericsson's sharp tone jolted Audrey out of her day dream. Her mind hadn't been on task since she met the turtles. Was she gullible for believing their story?

She cleared her throat. " Er, yes, sir? " she said, trying to keep herself from shrinking in her seat as her classmates turned their attention to the girl who seldom spoke. It made her insides burn with embarrassment. She wanted nothing more than to melt into the ground.

" What is the answer to question three? "

Audrey's eyes darted to the board as she scanned the problem and worked it out in her head. It was a simple equation, only review.

" Twenty-five, " she said after a moment, her eyes returning to the teacher. She refrained from smirking as the teacher gave her a curt nod and continued questioning her classmates. She was thankful that math was easy for her most of the time. It was the only thing that was ever straightforward with her, no mistakes allowed.

The bell rang ten minutes later and she packed her books up, leaving the classroom and heading for her next class.

" Hey, Audrey! " She turned around, surprised to see April O'Neil coming after her.

" Er, hi, April, " she said awkwardly after the girl had caught up.

" Hi, I just - " She panted slightly, out of breath. " Sorry, you move quickly. I just wanted to see how you were doing. "

At her words, Audrey's insides clenched and she stared at her suspiciously. " Why? "

" Er. . .It's just I feel like you've been looking a little 'down in the dumps', lately, and wanted to make sure you were okay, " she said, tacking a sweet smile onto the end.

Audrey frowned and studied her. She hadn't been acting _that _off, had she? Enough that it would rise concern in a practical stranger? Still a bit uneasy about April, she nodded in agreement.

" I miss my brother is all - I haven't seen him in a while. " Well, it wasn't _technically_ a lie.

" Really? "

" Yeah, but, I mean - he disappears all the time and doesn't tell me how long he's gonna be away for work, " she lied. She wasn't sure why she was lying or why she hadn't thought to call the police yet. Audrey sighed and took the far side of the classroom they had entered, indicating that the conversation was over. What was holding her back? 

It was closing time at work, and Audrey was staying late as usual. This time Murakami seemed especially insistent to her leaving early, though she refused. It wasn't like he was ordering her to get out, he always seemed to worry about her well being.

" Surely you have school work to be getting to, Audrey? " he said, finding yet another excuse to dismiss her. But the girl knew his tricks.

" Nice try, Murakami-san, but I have a seventh period study hour so I get all my homework done then, " Audrey grinned, dipping her hands into the warm water as she fished out a cup to wash. " I would have _nothing _to do if you didn't let me work here. "

The old man smiled and shook his head. " So be it. "

Yet he looked more nervous than she had ever seen him before. Audrey walked up to the front to flip the closing sign when shadows disrupted the light given off by the streetlamp. Suspicious, she opened the door and walked out.

" I suppose that we don't have to hide ourselves from you anymore, " said a familiar voice. Startled, she turned around to face Leo, who smiled in greeting.

" Hi, " Audrey said, smiling back. " I suppose not but - does Murakami - "

" Know about us? Of course he does! " Mikey exclaimed, entering the shop. " We're awesome! "

Simultaneously, Raph and Audrey rolled their eyes at the bubbly turtle.

" That's _one _word for it, " he grinned at his childish brother.

" So, _this _- " she realized as she walked back inside to face Murakami, " - is why you were so keen to get me out of here! "

" I did not know you were acquaintances, " he said apologetically.

" That's another word for it, " Raph muttered again.

" I figured that humans discovering the turtles would not have the greatest end result. "

The five took their seats and watched as he began to make something. Audrey had never seen that recipe before.

" Well, you're right about that, " she said finally. " I've never seen you make that before. . . "

Murakami smiled and served the four turtles. Leo offered one to her on a chopstick,

" It's Pizza Gyoza. Try it. "

" Pizza? " she said skeptically. It looked like a normal dumpling. Hesitant, Audrey leaned over slightly and ate it. Her eyes popped open in surprise as she chewed. " Holy crap! " She exclaimed out of surprise.

A tray of the delicacy complete with a set of chopsticks was placed in front of her within the next second, and she blushed profoundly. " Thank you, Murakami. "

" It is no problem at all. "

They were a rambunctious crowd, talking about anything and everything. Raph tackled Mikey a few times for trying to take his food. For Leo, this was the perfect opportunity to talk to her.

" So how have you been lately, Audrey? I know that this has all been a lot to take in, " he said.

Audrey smiled weakly. " I'm okay, I suppose. I mean. . .I want my brother back. Seeing you guys makes me think about him. He's all I've got left. "

" Couldn't we help you somehow? " Leo asked, setting down his chopsticks and looking at her with concern. She shook her head,

" I don't think so. Even if we searched together I wouldn't know where to start. "

For Audrey, just by being concerned, Leo had done so much for her already. This also forced the realization upon her: her brother was gone. Likely kidnapped, and she didn't know who would have picked him, out of all the people in the world, to kidnap. A gang, perhaps?

" We found April's father, and we can surely help you too. "

Audrey smiled at him, the feeling of being alone vanishing.


	5. Chapter Five: Target

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**I**f anyone cared enough to ask, she would frown and deny it. But secretly, Audrey was honestly looking forward to the turtles' visits in the evenings. They filled that lonely void that she was constantly neglecting, and she finally had a start to finding her lost sibling. They gave her a chance.

This time they would be telling her more about the mutagen canister she kept secret for them.

Too lazy to cook, Audrey ordered a couple pizzas, hoping that it'd be good enough for them. She wasn't sure if they would like it and was in the process of grabbing a slice for herself when they climbed in through the window.

" Hello, Audrey! " Leo smiled at her, the first to enter. Donnie came after, then the usually grumpy Raphael. Mikey was the last, and he was sniffing the air curiously as he came in.

" Is that - " his head turned and she could have sworn she saw his pupils grow ten sizes as he took a cheesy slice for himself. " Pizza! "

" Mikey! " Leo scolded as the friendly turtle then proceeded to give her a strong one armed hug, holding the greasy delicacy away with the other so he didn't get any on her. Audrey giggled and hugged him back, doing the same with her own slice.

" So I take it that you guys like pizza? " she said in amusement before looking to Leo. " Well, go on. "

" Thanks, " he grinned, taking a slice.

After the pizzas had vanished (She couldn't believe that they ate that much!), they seemed to settle down and get to business.

" I still think this is a bad idea, " Raphael said blatantly as she threw the empty pizza boxes out and washed her hands in the sink. Audrey rolled her eyes as she sat down.

" You think every idea that isn't yours is a bad idea, " said Mikey, avoiding the fist that attempted to smash on his head.

" Raph, " Leo warned. Then there was silence. Donnie, feeling a little more comfortable around her now, turned to her and started.

" It's a little hard to decide where to start. Well, the canister of green ooze that you picked up is a chemical substance called Mutagen. We don't know too much about it but it was brought from the Kraang's dimension - aliens, basically - to Earth to be tested and perfected on humans. Our dimension and theirs are very different from one another, so the effects of the Mutagen aren't exactly. . .predictable. "

Audrey furrowed her eyebrows in thought. " Aliens? Is that how you came to be. . .mutant turtles? Using the mutagen? "

" Fifteen years ago, that's right, " he said approvingly, happy that she was picking it up quickly. " Canisters of it are scattered all over New York; we're working on getting them back before they harm anyone else. "

She ran over the newfound information in her mind, questions popping up here and there.

" Why haven't I heard of them before? " she asked. " Why doesn't anyone else know? "

" Cause we're masters at covering it up! " Mikey said in a 'duh!' tone. Audrey was skeptical about that, and was opening her mouth to say so when Leo changed the subject.

" So. . .your brother. Is there anything you can tell us that might help us find him? His appearance is a start. " he added.

" Er, okay." she said, disoriented by the abrupt switch. " Well, his name is Sean Jackson, and you might have gotten a glimpse of his bedroom when we - er - 'met', Leo. It's trashed; there's no way he could have run away. "

Audrey stood up and led them to his bedroom. It remained the same as when she found it a few days ago. The four turtles walked inside and examined specific areas.

" Blood, " identified Donnie in a strange voice. She stayed perched at the doorway, her chest tightening due to his hushed words. She really, really hoped that this didn't mean he was dead. She hated to imagine what he was going through if he had been kidnapped. . .it was the only other possibility that came to mind.

Audrey pressed her palms into her closed eyes and yawned. She never really got enough sleep and this wasn't helping her stress levels.

Leo was the first to notice this. He walked over to her, concern in his eyes. " You should get to bed, Audrey, we'll lock up when we're finished here. "

She looked between the four turtles before nodding. She could trust them, if only a little.

" Oh, gosh, thanks. " With a tired wave and a lazy smile Audrey bid them goodnight and went to her room, collapsing on the bed as soon as she could reach it. Unlike every other night, her curtains were open and the moonlight flooded the foot of her bed. A shadow peered out of the darkness, staring at the girl who had the turtles so entranced.

" You did this to me, Audrey! "

" Sean? "

It was pitch black. Audrey looked all around but she could see nothing. That _was_ Sean's voice calling her. . .wasn't it?

Then the lights came on; they originated from no specific conductor, instead floating in midair. Sean was strapped to a chair, his face bruised and bloodied. She gasped and ran up to him,

" Sean! " Audrey attempted to touch his face, but her hand went right through him. " Oh my gosh! Are you okay? "

He didn't answer her; his eyes were worn with sleepiness and he stared straight past her now. Audrey turned around and it charged, blades risen.

Then she was screaming. Audrey sat up in her bed and couldn't stop, sweat creating a shiny sheen on her body. Her eyes darted around the room frantically and she began to calm down when she realized that it was only a nightmare.

She sobbed into her hands even though it wasn't real. She didn't understand what was going on.

Audrey _knew _by now that they were trustworthy and she didn't want to admit it but one stupid thing was holding her back.

She liked them. Audrey enjoyed their company and the last few weeks had been like a dream. She had never felt the warmth and fun of a friendship before and now that she had, she didn't want to let it go. She was greedy and she knew it.

If she gave them the mutagen, she'd never see their faces again.

" Do you have recurring nightmares, Audrey? " Leo asked her one night.

She frowned and continued her drying of the dishes.

" Why do you ask? " she said suspiciously, turning to face him. He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

" I've been. . .keeping an eye on you. At night. "

" You've been stalking me?! " Audrey exploded, glaring at him. She put the dishes down and dried her hands before folding her arms and facing Leo expectantly. " Why? "

" It's not stalking, " he said calmly, though Audrey could hear the defensive tone behind it.

" Yes it is! You asked about my nightmares? How else would you know about them? " she demanded. " That's called invasion of privacy, Leonardo. "

" I'm sorry! It just worried me because you always cried through them. Even I don't like to hear that. "

Her cheeks reddened furiously and it didn't help that this was the one day she chose to pull her long black hair up in a ponytail. There was nothing to hide her embarrassment. Audrey finished her dishes in silence and was pulling her hair out of the pony just as she left for bed.

" You can let yourselves out! " she called back.

The dark figure outside her window watched as she changed and collapsed on her bed out of exhaustion. It snorted silently; _this_ was the girl they were protecting? What for?

She displayed no extraordinary talent, she shied away from other humans - what was it about her that kept them in constant communication with her?

Karai stood up and left. She'd get the Foot to find out for her.


	6. Chapter Six: Ambushed

**CHAPTER SIX**

**I**t was a mark of peculiarity noticed by all of them that Mikey had begun to ask Audrey to go to the nearest skate park with him. Having been rejected the first twelve times, one would of thought that he'd give up. But this was Michelangelo Hamato, after all.

" I can't skateboard, Mikey, " Audrey protested when he asked for the last time. " Besides, won't someone see you? "

" That's why we'll go later! " he pleaded. " Around midnight, when no one's out. "

And somehow, he managed to drag her out there in the middle of the night on a Friday, when she'd rather get some extra sleep.

" Michelangelo, " she grumbled, taking a swig of her caffeinated soda. " You're going to owe me big time for this. "

" You know you love me, " he grinned, holding out two skateboards.

" What I _know_ is that I want to strangle you. "

" Same thing. "

Audrey laughed and took the board that he handed her, watching as he demonstrated how to use them. She had seen it before, just never actually done it. After a few tries she got the hang of it, but couldn't do the tricks that Mikey could.

" Don't feel bad, Audrey, I _am_ a ninja, " he said in a suave voice after she fell on her sore bottom for the third time. Audrey laughed at him and settled with just going down the ramps.

" This is the girl Master Shredder wants to learn about? I had expected her to be. . .bigger, if not so _scrawny_ looking. "

Two giant mutants appeared; one resembling a giant dog on it's hind legs and the other a fish out of water. They laughed at his comment while advancing on Audrey and Mikey.

" Well, I'll certainly enjoy destroying her, " said the fish nonchalantly to his companion.

" Run, Audrey! " Mikey yelled, pulling out his T-Phone as they did so. He was capable of running much faster than her but he stayed behind for her safety. He got a hold of Leo just as they were slammed onto the ground. " Park! " he groaned into the phone before it was destroyed. Audrey's heart beat wildly; she didn't understand why they were being attacked.

" Split up! " They rolled opposite ways as their adversaries' fists came smashing on the ground. To Audrey's luck, she got the giant dog mutant following her while Mikey took down the fish on metal legs with his nunchucks. He was a very capable fighter but he couldn't fight two at once.

Audrey could run fast, but her energy was on it's wits end; not to mention that she hadn't had any rest yet, it being the middle of the night. It caught up with her once she reached the corner and with a swipe of it's giant paw, she was thrown against the side of an apartment building.

Audrey cried out in pain at the inevitable bruises being formed and was amazed to feel no broken bones.

" A simple, human girl, " it taunted, scooping her up in his arms and staring into her eyes. " So fragile, so easy to break. "

Tears streamed down her face as he squeezed her bruised body painfully before dropping her. Her head hit the ground before everything went blurry.

A near silent thump of the ground could be heard by anyone who was listening. The ninja snuck up behind Dogpound and scowled at the pathetic girl on the ground.

" This is _her? _The girl the turtles are wasting all their time on? "

Karai bent down on her knees and moved the girl's face in disgust.

" What on earth does he see in her? " she muttered.

" What was that? " asked Bradford out of pure amusement. He had heard her words quite clearly.

" I ought to slice your tail off, " she snarled, turning back to face him. " Let's move. The turtles will be here soon. "

And Karai was right: they watched from a safe distance as the turtles arrived and Leonardo lifted the breakable girl.

Audrey groaned. " Leo? "

" You'll be okay, Audrey, " he said, trying to sound calm, but he couldn't control the trembles that broke through his voice. Audrey smiled, feeling butterflies in her stomach.

" Thank you, " she whispered before blacking out once more.

" What were you doing in the middle of the night _skateboarding _with her, Mikey! You know you can only skateboard in the sewers, where it's _safe! _"

" Audrey _wanted _to come, Leo! If anything, she was watching out for me! " he argued.

" Shredder knows about her now! You've put her in danger! "

" Not true, " she mumbled, loud enough that they heard her as she rolled over. Donnie was at her side in an instant, catching her on the side of the couch before she hit her head. " Thanks, Donnie. "

Audrey stood up, to their amazement, and rubbed her tired eyes so she could see them.

" Mikey didn't endanger me; I went _willingly. _" Okay, that wasn't _entirely_ true but she wasn't about to let Mikey take the rap for what happened when it was nobody's fault.

Leo was at her side in an instant, forcing her to sit back down.

" Are you alright? Where does it hurt? "

Audrey ignored the odd sensation of butterflies ravaging her stomach as she shoved his large hand off her forehead.

" It's not like I've got a fever, Leo; I was only beat up. My entire body is sore, " she snapped.

Leo scoffed and folded his arms. " Oh, well if you were _only_ beat up. . . "

Though annoyed, she snorted in an unladylike fashion at his sarcasm and looked around. Audrey must have been at their place; this was not her sweet, empty apartment. They lived in an abandoned subway station? It looked slightly barren though there were other rooms. Mikey returned his attention to the TV screen, sitting closely seeing as his brothers made him turn the volume incredibly low due to Audrey's state.

" Welcome to the lair; home sweet home, " he remarked, realizing that she was awake.

Donnie entered from another room holding a cloth and bowl of water,

" Hi, Audrey, nice to see that you're up, " he smiled at her, handing the supplies to Leo. " Her wounds need to be cleaned. It's nothing serious but I'm afraid that we can't do much for the bruises on your stomach - "

" I have bruises? " Audrey interrupted, gently moving her hand up under her shirt to press against her stomach. She winced and removed it. " I guess I'll be changing in the bathroom stalls during gym class for awhile then. "

Leo took the cloth and dampened it before moving his hand to her face. He looked her in the eyes and began once he was given the signal. He was ever so careful though she winced a few times anyways. Then came the cool medicine that he applied onto her face with the utmost gentleness.

" Thanks, " she said softly, looking down at her hands now that he was finished. Audrey did her best to ignore the strange butterflies that had risen in her stomach.

_Knock it off,_ she scolded them.

" What time is it? "

" One in the morning, " Donnie said as Leo left the room. He returned a few seconds later with some blankets and pillows.

" Who is this? Why are you boys still awake? "

Raph and Mikey immediately stood to attention while Donnie and Leo sat beside Audrey. Her eyes widened as they met the sight of a giant rat.

" This is Audrey, Sensei. . . " Leo answers hesitantly.

" To my room, Leonardo, " said the rat immediately, looking curt.

" Hai, Sensei, " he said, sounding worn out as he put down the blankets and followed him in.

Audrey felt incredibly guilty. It was _her _fault (well, a bit of Mikey's too) that they were all up in the middle of the night. And it would be her fault if they got into trouble with their. . .'Sensei' by her being there.

" I'm sorry, " she said, making the three silent turtles look at her in surprise.

" Whoa, don't be, Audrey, " said Mikey, bounding over to her. He took Leo's spot next to her and smiled. " If anything, it's my fault for persuading you to go out in the first place. "

" I know. . .but if I wasn't so incapable of protecting myself we still wouldn't be here, and you guys wouldn't get into any trouble. " she sighed, face in her hands.

" Shut up. " Audrey, Mikey, and Donnie looked at Raph in surprise. " It's no one's fault but the scum that attacked ya. Master Splinter will understand that. Why did Shredder's mutants go after you anyways? "

" Shredder? " Audrey questioned.

" I don't know. " Mikey frowned. " Maybe because _I _was there. "

They sat in silence, pondering his words.

" Mikey. . .where's your T-Phone? " said Donnie sternly. His brother looked at him sheepishly.

" Funny story, " he laughed, his green freckled cheeks darkening with a red blush. " I. . .kinda fell on it? And smashed it? It was Audrey's fault! "

Audrey dropped her jaw. " Hey! " she protested, folding her arms while Mikey stuck his tongue out at her.

They fell silent when Leo returned, looking thoroughly bummed.

" I'm so sorry, Leo - " Audrey started again, in which Raph cut her off.

" Shut it! " he warned her again. She stuck her tongue out at him before facing the blue banded turtle again.

" I really am, though, " she said sincerely.

" Don't be. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, " Leo said sternly.

They sat in silence for several seconds before it was broken. Audrey bit her lip in an attempt to keep from smiling when she realized that she was able to return the favor after all.

" Fine then. You guys can't be seen by humans, right? " she asked, full out grinning when they nodded. " Well, maybe I could get the necessities for you. It seriously is the least I could do. "

Leo opened his mouth, probably to reject the idea, when Mikey jumped in.

" Can you get me comic books? " he asked excitedly.

" Mikey - " he said **reproachfully** when Donnie butted in.

" I could actually use a new set screwdrivers to repair the Shellraiser, " he said honestly. " I've been trying to get some for a while now. "

" I can do that. " she beamed, eyeing the pizza boxes in the corner.

" I'm good, " Raph and Leo said at the same time when she looked at them expectantly,

" You've done more than enough for us, Audrey, seriously, " Leo added.

" Doesn't feel like I could ever do enough. "

Audrey returned the next evening with Leo helping her bring their requested items back to the lair. As she distributed the items before being escorted home, she noticed Splinter watching them from a dark corner.

" This is more than enough to thank us, Audrey, " he said as they walked inside. " We were only doing our jobs. "

" I know but you've done a lot for me, Leo, more than you'll know. " she smiled. He grinned and called the others over.

Author's Note: gonna have a formatting day soon, to take care of this crappy piece of work. Thanks so much for those who have reviewed! I love knowing what people think of my work, even if you don't like it, I'd like to know how I can improve.


	7. Chapter Seven: Pranked by the Prankster

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**A**udrey rolled her eyes, something hanging around Leo 24/7 would make you do, when he insisted on bringing her home. Though she had to admit that roof jumping was an entirely new experience. In the end, she really did enjoy his company.

" Are you okay now? " he asked, leaning against her window sill. Audrey sighed, knowing what he was referring to, and collapsed against the bed.

" I am. I'm fine. "

" This is _your_ room? " Leo looked around. She pursed her lips and folded her arms. " It's nice, " he added quickly, making her face split into a grin.

" I don't need much, I'm a pretty simple girl, " Audrey said, falling back on her bed.

" I don't know, you're a tad bit complicated to me. " He scratched the back of his head.

" Don't _all_ boys think that about girls? " she joked. Their chuckles faded out after a few minutes.

" I've got something for you, " he said, as if just remembering. His hands moved around to the side of his shell and he pulled out. . .a smaller shell. " It's a T-Phone, Donnie made them. "

Audrey's eyes widened in surprise and she took it, her hands feeling the bumps on the back. She turned it on, amazed to find that it worked.

" That's so cool! " she exclaimed. " I can't believe that he actually created this. "

" Yeah, well, he _is_ the genius of us four and he'll be glad to hear that you like it, " he said, now grinning.

After scrolling through it for a few more minutes Audrey pocketed it and looked back to him.

" I have one last thing to ask you; Mikey wanted to know if you'd come back down to the Lair tomorrow evening. He wants to watch some movie, " he said, scratching the back of his head again. It seemed to be a nervous habit. She wondered why.

Audrey thought she would wound her face from all the smiling she was doing. It had to be unhealthy. She nodded,

" That sounds great. "

Audrey felt her face heat up and she broke eye contact, instead looking at the ground.

" Bye, Leo, " she said as she closed the window.

Friday evening couldn't come soon enough for Audrey. By eight o'clock it was getting dark but she didn't have to worry about it; Leo would be bringing her over anyways. For the first time in her life she was worried about her appearance. Having no work that night nor homework, she tore through her closet, trying to find something suitable for a movie night. Asking April for help even crossed her mind a few times before she decided against it. April would probably take it the wrong way and think that she was going on a date or something.

Worst of all, she didn't know why she felt this way. Every time she passed Sean's bedroom her stomach churned with a sick feeling.

In the end, feeling particularly grumpy, Audrey settled for a t-shirt and sweatpants, and threw her long hair into a bun. She looked strange was the first thought she had as she stared at her reflection; she seldom wore her hair up, and when she did, it certainly wasn't when she was going into public.

" Knock, knock, " Leo said, finding her in the open bathroom.

" Hi. " Audrey smiled at him, her hand making habitual movements to push hair behind her ear. She caught only small strands, blushing.

" You ready? " he asked, smiling good-naturedly. Audrey nodded and followed him back to her room and out the window. Leo looked from the rooftops back to her, trying to determine the best way to take her down. After a few minutes, he turned to her,

" Er, I'll have to carry you across, Audrey, " he said, a faint pink gracing his green cheeks.

" That's alright, " she replied as he picked her up. She folded her arms and turned into his chest, closing her eyes. She usually worked late, and got up at seven in the morning for school, officially labeling her sleep deprived.

She barely felt the cool New York wind grazing her arms for she had dozed off during their short journey. Leo gently roused her once they had arrived, not wishing to submit her nor himself to his brother's teasing once they entered.

" We're here, " he whispered, his warm breath hitting her ear. Audrey groaned, wanting to remain in his comfortable arms for a while longer, but relented and allowed herself to be stood up.

" Wow. " She stifled a yawn and looked around. Everything they owned, from the fridge to the couch, seemed worn out and reused. Personally, Audrey felt both pitiful and impressed.

" You live. . .in the sewers? " she acknowledged for the first time, rapping her fingers on the kitchen table. She felt a bit stupid for not realizing it sooner. Quite abruptly, she was pulled into the strong arms of Michelangelo, who shouted into her ears,

" Audrey! You came! "

" A little louder, Mikey, I don't think my left ear has gone completely deaf yet. " she joked, hugging him back, though there was a large smile on her face. It had been a long time since she received a real hug initiated by someone else.

" So what are we watching? " Audrey asked after being released. They walked to the couch and Mikey put a movie in the repaired DVD player.

" Master Splinter got us a new one, " he explained. " 's called 'Paranormal Activity'. "

The lights were turned off and they had settled in. Audrey sat next to Leo on the couch while Raph, Mikey, and Donnie lay on the ground. She squirmed around a bit, her hand bumping Leo's a few times. Once they were comfortable, Mikey handed out a few bowls of popcorn, sharing two with his brothers and handing Audrey and Leo one to share as well.

At the first jump scare, Audrey gasped loudly and covered her eyes, peeking through her hands. She cast the three dirty looks when they snorted at her. To those who knew her, this would have been a shocking look to receive but to the teenage ninjas, she looked about as intimidating as a kitten. It was Raphael who pointed this out, much to Audrey's disdain.

Audrey stood up, in need of relieving herself.

" Want the movie paused? " asked Donnie, already moving to do so. She shook her head,

" No, it's fine. Just going to the bathroom. "

" First door on the left, " said Mikey absently, eyes glued to the unfolding scenes before him.

" Thanks, " she said, rolling her eyes as she left. Audrey walked around the corner and locked the door once she got in. She washed her hands once she was finished and returned to their movie. It was oddly quiet, seeing as Mikey was the one to talk through the movie every five seconds.

" Guys - " She screamed when she was grabbed from behind and thrown over someone's shoulder. Laughter erupted in the room and Audrey folded her arms, realizing that she was staring at the back of Mikey's shell.

" Mikey! " she whined. " Not funny! Put me down! "

She pursed her lips and moved to sit beside Leo when she was set down, watching them laugh.

" That's not funny, guys, " he said sternly, though the corner of his lips nearly twitched into a smile. Audrey didn't notice, making smug faces behind his back.

" Your face begs to differ, Leo, " said Donnie, grinning. Audrey looked at the blue banded turtle and glared at him.

" Let's continue watching the movie, " he said quickly, successfully avoiding her wrath. She rolled her eyes and hid under the blanket, her heart rate calming down until she fell asleep.

In the morning, Audrey woke up in an unfamiliar room and panicked at first, sitting up. She looked around and relaxed once she realized that she had ended up staying over the night. So she was in one of the turtles' rooms. As she examined the walls, she overheard Raph's loud mouth,

" You're blushing! You can't even deny it, Leo! "

" Shut it, Raphael, " snarled Leo, sounding completely out of character.

" Please it's so obvious, even Mikey picked it up right away! "

Audrey shook her head, grinning. They were so mean to the cute, freckled turtle. She wondered what they were arguing about and stretched before leaving the bedroom.

Author's Note: If you liked this chapter, please Review/Favorite/Follow! Gonna have to hold of that formatting day because my stupid sisters were being a pair of babies and our computer is now broken. This is hard to do on a cellphone.


	8. Chapter Eight: The Purple Dragons

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**A**udrey met the end of another day at work. Much to Murakami's pleasure, she finished her work quickly and left early, much earlier than eleven o'clock. She always felt flattered that he cared about her well-being, even though she didn't understand why he did.

" Good night, Audrey, get home safely, " he bid her goodbye and listened to her lock the door behind her. Audrey shivered and berated herself for not dressing warmer, she should have known by now.

Wrapping her arms around herself tightly, she started down the street, doing her best to avoid the secluded alleys. The wind whistled in her ears, and just as she had adapted to the sound, she heard footsteps, and knew that she was no longer the only one on that route. Her pulse hiked but she did her best to keep calm. Not everything that she encountered had to be something bad. . .right?

" Hello, princess. You look familiar. "

Thought too soon, she groaned silently. Audrey stopped and turned around to face three men, each wearing similar tops that bared their chests. The tallest one wore a bandana in his hair and looked beefy. They had similar tattoos as well. There was no way that they could know who she was. But she definitely knew of _them._

" Familiar? " she squeaked, clearing her throat. " I don't think so. We've never met. "

Intimidation oozed from them, and she despised the way they leered at her. The three laughed at her innocence and Audrey took notice of the fact that they were inching closer, zeroing in on her. Their intentions were definitely not to show her any kindness.

_T-Phone!_ she remembered, thanking Donnie. As the largest reached to grab her, to do who knows what, she squeezed past the two of them and ran, calling Leo.

" Audrey? "

She panted slightly, looking behind her; they were right on her tail. She couldn't run for long.

" The Purple Dragons! " she blurted out quickly. " I'm by Murakami's - "

Audrey was shoved down, and she hit her head on the ground, hard. Myriads of pain burst in her head and she couldn't believe that she was being attacked _again_. What did she ever do to anyone to deserve this? She lay there, panting, before being pulled up by her hair, a cry of protest bubbling at her lips.

" Such a pretty face, " said the other as the larger one held her up. He flipped out his switchblade and dragged it down her cheek, just barely piercing the pale skin.

" Get away from me! " Audrey snarled, ignoring the sickening pain in her scalp and cheek as she kicked him away. The thief dropped her and she put her hands down in time to stop herself from face planting into the ground. Any other day she would have laughed at the thought. But lately she seemed to be having the worst of luck.

Angry, he charged at her.

The turtles arrived in record time, Mikey kicking him away from Audrey.

" Come on, Audrey," said Donnie as he lifted her bruised and battered body up gently.

" Donnie, " she sobbed into his shell, scared.

" Shh, you're okay, " he said, hugging her. " It's okay. "

" Why is everyone out to kill me? " Audrey didn't know why she was asking him that. In all honesty, she was confused and distraught.

" I don't know, Audrey, " Donnie sighed. " I don't know why. "

Over his shoulder she saw Leo beating one of them up, while Raph and Mikey tried to stop him. He looked. . .angry.

Over time, Leo's bedroom seemed to become Audrey's as well. She wanted to apologize again for being so weak, so helpless but she knew that her apology would be rejected.

They sat together on his bed, alone and unspeaking.

" Leo, " she said quietly, breaking the silence.

" If you try to apologize once more, Audrey, so help me - "

Audrey blushed and ran a hand through her dark, black hair. It was knotted and greasy and she was in desperate need of a shower.

" I can't help it! " she exclaimed, sitting up. " I can't even defend myself against mere _muggers_! It's pathetic! "

Leo's face softened and he covered her small hand with his.

" It's _not_, Audrey, and you shouldn't have to. Besides, it was three against one. You were bound to. . .you know, fail. You can't win every fight, Audrey. "

" And why not? " she said stubbornly.

Audrey woke up at seven-forty, with only ten minutes to get to school. Skipping crossed her mind several times as she got ready and left, arriving just as the bell rang. She had stayed overnight at the Lair and overslept. The turtles got up at seven in the morning, but they knew nothing of her school hours.

" Audrey! " exclaimed April O'Neil, aided by Casey Jones. Audrey, though surprised to see the two late for class, or at least April late for class, avoided them and continued walking. She didn't understand why she ever talked to her anyways. Audrey was a nobody.

" Hey! We're talking to you! " called out Jones, making her roll her eyes. Audrey would never understand why April hung around that guy, either. He was obnoxious.

" One would think that it's obvious I don't want to talk to you, Jones, " she said coldly.

" Knock it off, Casey, " scolded April. " I just wanted to know if you were okay. Donnie told me about what happened. "

Audrey laughed, slightly out of humor, slightly out of exasperation.

" Everyone seems to know about the turtles but me. "

Having no work at the sushi shop, Audrey stayed at the lair after school and attacked her ample pile of homework. Every ten minutes she was bombarded with questions from Mikey about his fascination with school.

" It's no party, Mikey, " she said, but the jumpy turtle was not deterred from the idea.

Raph growled and chased Mikey around everytime he pranked him, which was all the time. Audrey's favorite had been when he set a bucket of mud up at the bathroom door. Of course, Master Splinter made him clean it up alone.

Unfortunately, this made the homework process take hours.

She was packing up her schoolwork when the unexpected happened.

" Audrey Jackson. " Everyone looked up at Master Splinter, but he only looked at her. " Please come into the Dojo. "

Then he turned around and left the door open. Audrey looked unsurely at Leo, who nodded towards the door.

" You'll be fine, " he said reassuringly, though he obviously didn't know what was going on. " I'll bring you home afterwards, okay? "

Audrey nodded and put her bag over her shoulder. She stood up and took a deep breath before heading towards Splinter's room. She entered silently and shut it behind her.

" Audrey, " he said, looking up at her, hesitating slightly. " I wanted to apologize. It is not easy to trust humans, even if I was once one longer ago. Sorry, let me rephrase that - it is not easy to trust anyone around my sons. I send them out to fight and defend the city and I worry all the time. "

He sighed, sounding ashamed, and looked at the ground. But Audrey understood. She had known them for such a short time and while her family was broken, she could still see one when she saw it. This was a family, no matter their oddities. No matter their differences, no matter if none of them looked like humans.

" Don't apologize, " she said, breaking the silence and making him look back up at her. " The turtles are special. I know that now. You're their father; if you had trusted me instantly, I think I might have been a little worried, " she joked.

Splinter smiled.


	9. Chapter Nine: Mutation Day

**CHAPTER NINE**

**T**he last bell of the school day rang, signifying her release from the prison known as school. Audrey grinned at her description. Okay, so maybe school wasn't that bad, but it certainly was boring, and that was a crime in itself. Not so much now that she had something like a friendship with April and Casey, but dull nonetheless. April followed Audrey to her locker silently, and she could tell that the girl was withholding something exciting, as she looked about ready to burst.

" They're turning sixteen today! " she blurted out finally, and added when Audrey looked confused, " The turtles - the boys! They call it 'Mutation Day'. "

" Oh, I've never really thought about their ages. " Audrey realized for the first time, thinking of Leo. She shook the thought away. Why think of _him?_ " Mikey acts as though he's twelve - are they _all_ really sixteen now? "

" They are. Are you heading down today? " April asked, walking outside with her now.

" I suppose that I should. I think that I'll buy them some presents first though. "

_Mikey and Donnie sound easy to shop for; it's Raph and Leo that I'll have problems with, _she thought.

Audrey took a few good hours to find Mikey a quality skateboard and Donnie some new things for his lab. They weren't easy things to find, and it took her _forever_ to even think of Amazon. She decided that bringing a printed picture of her promise of new supplies would be enough to make Donnie happy.

She was correct in her assumptions before; she had no idea what Raph and Leo would even like. They just didn't seem like material turtles. Stumped, and leaving for the lair in an hour with April, she sat in her room and brainstormed, turning in her spinny chair.

Perhaps she could get them food, treats that they've likely never had before. The two turtles probably wouldn't mind anyways; they seemed to be more like a pair of guys who would choose chocolate over anything once they learned what it tasted like.

Audrey's eyes lit up as a great idea hit her. At least, she hoped it was good enough.

She would bake them their very first chocolate birthday cake. Though not entirely positive that they had never tasted chocolate before, she was sure that it'd still be something they'd like. Who doesn't like chocolate after all?

A little bit before Audrey left the house she looked at all her things and wondered how she was going to get them down there with the turtles seeing and ruining the surprise.

" Knock knock, " said the cheerful voice of April, walking through the door on time. She held a few pre-wrapped presents and some wrapping paper in her arms. " Ooo, good idea. "

" Thanks, I didn't even think to get wrapping paper, " Audrey said, slapping her forehead and taking some from her. She wrapped their gifts neatly, stacked them on one another, and they finally left for the lair.

" Happy Mutation Day! " Audrey exclaimed, hugging each of the turtles in turn, April doing the same. The cake had been hidden in the kitchen before the two girls made their presence known.

" Thanks, " said Leo, the four of them grinning. Audrey couldn't help noticing Donnie's blushing face when April gave him a hug. She hid a smile.

" So, sixteen? " she said, remembering April's words as she looked each of them. Mikey jumped up and down excitedly,

" Yes! So now we can drive! "

They laughed at the turtle's enthusiasm.

" No one in their right mind would let _you_ drive, Mikey, " pointed out Raph.

" Not nice, Raph! " Audrey attempted to scold him, laughing instead. When Mikey stuck his tongue out at Raph smugly, she added, " Though I wouldn't let him drive either. "

" I'm sixteen now, stop being mean! " Mikey pouted.

She grinned and picked up the presents to put on the kitchen table. " Are you now? Sure don't act like it. "

The hyperactive turtle paid no attention to her comment and tapped the boxes curiously, " What'd you get us? "

" It's a secret, " she said nonchalantly, half skipping over to a chair to sit down.

Mikey stared at her suspiciously.

" Let's play some games! " he proposed suddenly. " I want to play hide and seek! "

With a slight reluctance, everyone agreed, and Mikey chose Leo to be it. This led to immediate cries of protest from everyone else because they knew that he'd be the best at finding them. Leo, however, grinned proudly, knowing that they were right.

" Better get good hiding spots then, " he warned them as they dispersed.

" I'm screwed! " Audrey whined, glaring at the three who laughed at her before running away. Leo began to count to a hundred, his voice taunting her. Audrey rolled her eyes and ran off, looking for a good spot.

She ran into the bathroom and found April hiding behind the shower curtains.

" Damn it! " Audrey whispered, running away. In no time at all, he reached eighty and she was sure that he was cheating, skipping numbers. Or maybe she was just that slow. She scanned the room; Audrey once believed that the Lair had limitless possibilities, but now it seemed to have run out of its luster.

Quickly running out of time, she darted into Leo's room and hid under his bed. Who else would think to hide there? Least of all his room.

Her heart rate gradually calmed down to normal and she remained as quiet as possible. Cockily, she assumed that Mikey would be the first to be found. Even as a trained ninja, he wasn't always the quietest turtle.

She laid there for the next ten minutes, beginning to nod off. It was really quiet, the silence buzzing in her ear, she realized at the back of her mind. Yawning as quietly as possible, she looked around and met the blue eyes of Leo.

" Boo, " he said, making her jump and hit her head on the underside of the bed.

" Ow! You jerk, " she said sourly, punching him on the shoulder while using the other hand to rub her sore head.

" Sorry, " Leo grinned, helping her out.

" So, birthday boy, " Audrey said, looking around. " Am I the first to be found? "

" You are, " he said, before holding his finger to his lips to silence her. Jokingly, she puckered out her lips and kissed it. They froze, staring at each other.

It was finally Audrey who broke the silence a few minutes later.

" Let's get the others, " she mumbled, feeling embarrassed. _Why_ did she do that?

" Presents! " Mikey exclaimed, bounding over to the small pile. Audrey felt a tinge of guilt for not figuring out individual gifts for Raph or Leo, so she hoped that the cake would tide them over.

" Thank you, Audrey. " Splinter turned to her with a smile. Mikey cheered at the new skateboard after opening it and ran up to hug her.

" Thank you, thank you, thank you! " he squealed, squeezing her. The turtles didn't receive gifts often, so when they did, it was definitely a prize to be treasured.

" Humans - need - air - Mikey - " she gasped and sucked in oxygen once released.

" Sorry. " The freckled turtle blushed before admiring the skateboard again. Audrey grinned and nodded at Donnie's thanks after he opened his.

" I have one last thing, hold on, " she said, disappearing from the room. She took the cake from it's hiding place and pulled a small lighter from her pocket, lighting the ten candles.

" Happy 16th, guys! " Audrey exclaimed, walking into the darkened room, courtesy of Splinter who had been let in on the surprise. " I didn't know what you would like so I just baked chocolate. "

" Whoa, " said Mikey, his big blue eyes widening.

" I don't know, it's tradition for most, and I figured that you've never had any. . . " she said, wondering if it was a bad idea.

" It looks great, " Donnie assured her. The four turtles were positively grinning now, the sight making Splinter, April, and Audrey smile too, her doubts washed away. She set it on the table and gestured towards it.

" Happy birthday, boys, " she wished them again. " Make a wish then blow it out. "

Catching the gist of it, the four turtles closed their eyes and did so before blowing the candles out together. They were emerged in total darkness once more before Splinter flipped the light switch back on.

" Happy birthday, my sons, " he said, cutting the cake now.

Audrey looked up and caught made eye contact with Leo. They smiled and diverted their attention back to the slices of cake Splinter was handing out now.

**Early surprise update because I can! ^-^ Chapter 10 will be posted saturday!**


	10. Chapter Ten: Trick Or Treat

CHAPTER TEN

" Never? " said Audrey incredulously, looking at all of them. Excuse her dramatics but it was the best holiday ever. Raph rolled his eyes at her antics and folded his arms in his usual manner,

" Ever, " he said, a tad bit sarcastically.

" I haven't gone for years, April, " she said, sitting down. " Aren't we a little old? "

Audrey and April were at the lair in the kitchen, and April was currently trying to persuade the five of them to go trick or treating. Audrey was tempted to give in, just to get the turtles out of the sewer and show them a good time, but like Leo, she was hesitant - and with good reason.

" And what if someone sees through them? " she added.

" It's Halloween! " Mikey exclaimed. He had been onboard with the idea from the start, doing his best to aid April in persuading them as well. " If anything, people will think that our costumes are 'clever' and 'punny'. If we go out at all. We could just make it a Halloween party! "

" He has a point, " added Donnie, who had been won over now.

" Are we in a parallel universe? " joked Raph, only to be tackled by Mikey.

So, Leo, Donnie, and Raph remained as 'ninja turtles' while Mikey dressed up as what he called 'turflytle', something the four seemed to have an inside joke with. April, changed into a superhero costume, pulled Audrey's costume out of her bag.

She scrunched her eyes and scrutinized the mass of pink fabric.

" Er, what's that s'posed to be? " she said, dropping her jaw when April pulled it out to full size. " Nuh-uh! No way! " she protested, stepping back.

" You can be a princess! " April said happily. Raph and Mikey immediately burst into laughter, pointing at the massacre of pink.

Audrey blushed and glared at them.

" Shut up! Not happening, April. "

The redhead frowned and pursed her lips unhappily, thinking of a good enough reason to get her friend into the atrocious dress.

" Raph will give up pizza for a week if you do. And we all know that you like to see him suffer. . . " she persuaded the girl.

" That. . .is true. " Audrey shot a grin at Raph, who had been a total arse when they met. She may have known him better now, but she still needed her good, old fashioned revenge.

" Fine, Fine, fine, " she said, annoyed. She snatched the dress out of April's arms and went into the bathroom to change into it.

Mikey and Raph immediately burst into laughter when she came back out. Audrey folded her arms and glared at them, knowing that she looked ridiculous,

" This is so not worth it. " she grumbled.

Mikey jumped up and ran past her, " Ooo, my turn! "

Seconds later he emerged from his bedroom with. . .an odd costume. Audrey couldn't put a name on it.

" Er. . .are you a butterfly, Mikey? " she asked while the three turtles slapped their foreheads and groaned out of embarrassment for their brother.

" Butterfly? " he repeated in disgust, staring at her. " What? No! I'm Turflytle. Buzz, buzz. "

" No. " Raph immediately got up and stalked towards him. " Not again, Mikey. "

" What? Buzz, buzz. "

With a roar of annoyance, Raph chased him around the Lair. Leo let it go on for awhile before Audrey pestered for him to make them stop, which he did so reluctantly.

With a great kick off to their Halloween party, they ended up doing what they normally did when they hung out. Audrey watched Mikey play his video games, and even played a bit with him, April and Donnie talked, and Raph and Leo wrestled. Audrey was pretty sure that they were only playing.

Pretty sure.

Eventually, everyone got bored of his/her activity and they grouped up once more.

" I want to play Truth or Dare, " announced Mikey.

They groaned at first before Raph made eye contact with Audrey,

" Actually, that sounds like a great idea, " he said.

Audrey stuck her tongue out at him; she didn't get what his deal was with her.

" Meh, sure, " she shrugged briefly, moving in as they made their unspoken circle.

" Ooh, ooh, me first! " exclaimed Mikey as he moved into their circle. " Raph! Truth or dare? "

The turtle in red frowned before making his hesitant decision. " Truth. "

" Aw, come on! Only scaredy cats say truth! " Mikey exclaimed, quickly moving on to the question before Raph pummeled him for his remarked. " Have you ever liked a girl before? "

He sat there looking dumbfounded before his green cheeks tinted red.

" . . .yes. "

The five stared at him in utter surprise before Donnie broke the silence.

" Who?! " he exclaimed, unable to fathom the idea. It wasn't like they came in contact with many girls - or boys for that matter to be attracted to.

The flush in Raph's face soon melted away and he grinned.

" One question only. Now it's my turn: Truth or dare, Leo? "

" Dare. "

Audrey looked between the two turtles: it appeared as though they were being playful but inside it felt like they were overstepping boundaries. But they were brothers, and if anyone fought a lot, it was Raph and Leo.

Audrey raised her eyebrow and looked at April, who simply shrugged in confusion.

" This'll be good. " Mikey laughed.

" I dare you to play five minutes in heaven. . .with Audrey. Though she probably wouldn't want to, " Raph said cruelly. Mikey laughed alongside him, thinking it was all in good fun.

While Leo blushed ferociously, Audrey felt incredibly angry. Raph was being a total jerk. He always was, when it involved Leo.

What could he have possibly done to make his brother so angry?

" Fine, " she said, grabbing Leo's hand and leaving for his room, pulling him into the closet. Audrey immediately blushed and cursed herself once she realized what she had done. " Sorry. . .Raph was being a jerk. I - "

His green cheeks remained as red as before, though rapidly gaining more color.

" Don't be. . . " he mumbled. Audrey smiled instead though; she had never seen the ninja act so shy before. Without thinking, she quickly went up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. Leo's skin burned where her lips had once been after she pulled away.

" Well, " he said, composing himself as best he could. " How are you, Audrey? "

" That's a real good icebreaker there, Leo, " she said, grinning. " I'm fine, you know, just cheating at five minutes in heaven and dressed like a dweeb. But fine. "

He laughed and the door opened, revealing the sour face of Raph.

" You two make the most boring couple that I've ever seen. "


	11. Chapter Eleven: More Than Just An Attack

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Work at the Sushi Shop was slow as usual, but Audrey enjoyed every second of the peace. Of course, when she was alone, her mind was more free to roam. She preferred to think of anything but her recent Halloween events, that made her blush every time she thought of them.

Audrey finished her task of cleaning the bathrooms and was putting the supplies away in its closet when she heard Murakami's pleading voice,

" Please! I don't have the money to spare! "

Her eyes widened in surprise and she pulled out a broom from the closet; who dared to threaten Murakami? And was she really going to take on some creep with a _broom?_ Quietly making her way into the front, Audrey stood up straight, surprising them.

" Get out of here! " she shouted, brandishing the stick as threateningly as she could.

There was silent for a few seconds as the three stared at her.

" Since when does _she_ work here? " asked one, bewildered.

Audrey gripped the broom's handle tightly, the whites of her knuckles showing.

" No, since when do we listen to little girls? " grunted the largest one threateningly. He cracked his knuckles and stomped towards her.

" She looks familiar. . . " muttered one, ignored as Audrey was lifted up by the scruff of her shirt and thrown against the wall, disarmed with a mere punch.

_Not again, _she groaned, painfully moving an arm to touch the back of her head. One of these times she was going to suffer severe brain damage. Audrey saw him coming the next time and avoided his action, sliding past him. A confused look overcame them but she was glad to see that she had stolen their attention from Murakami.

" Bet you can't catch me, " she taunted, thinking on the spot as she slipped past them and ran out of the store.

Hopefully, Audrey thought, they'd bite the bait.

And she was right, all three came after her. She ran down the block, her brain working in overdrive but no good plan came to mind except _run! _

Sweat rolled down her forehead, and her muscles burned and screamed at her.

_T-Phone, T-Phone, T-Phone! _Her mind chanted.

She was granted one ring before it was batted away from her hands. The phone hit the ground and was stomped on as they advanced.

Audrey clenched her fists and stared into their eyes as the first fist aimed and fired.

Audrey took forever to make it back to her apartment and even longer to clean herself up.

" Audrey? You home? "

She froze in the middle of the process of changing her clothes in the bathroom. The others were dirt clodded and ripped, now in the trash.

Audrey was well aware that the turtles were ninjas and that they'd be able to hear her but she didn't reply. She knew that she was delaying the inevitable but she just didn't want anyone to see her yet.

Audrey looked at herself in the mirror; the right side of her face was scratched up and dark bruises littered the pale skin under her shirt. She winced in pain as she poked and prodded at one. She'd need some kind of medicine for that.

" We can hear you, you know? " Leo said from outside the bathroom door.

" Oh, can you? " she called back sarcastically, buying time as she scrubbed the blood off her face. Audrey didn't know why she was avoiding the inevitable; they were going to see her face in the end.

" Yes, " he said, completely serious. " Come on out. What's wrong, Audrey? "

There was silence before Audrey sighed and relented. There was the click of the lock before the door opened. She looked down at the ground, refusing to look at him.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw him clench a green fist.

" What happened? " he asked, trying to control his temper. Audrey had never noticed that he even had one. Not until now. It was weird; something she expected from Raph, but Leo?

" It's. . . " she hesitated. " The Purple Dragons. It's not a big deal and I don't want to talk about it so don't make me regret telling you anything. "

Leo was silent for a few moments before he gestured to the washcloth she had been using.

" Let me help. "

Audrey sighed and gave him the cloth. He was just as gentle as last time, dabbing and cleaning the blood away. He focused on getting rid of all the blood, allowing Audrey to really study his blue eyes. They were so different from hers; electric and alive.

" Ow! " she hissed when he got to a particularly painful cut, jerking away from him.

" Sorry! "

" Don't be. "

" So are we going to find the Purple Dragons or not? " Raph said, his voice a lazy drawl though Audrey could see in his eyes that he was beyond angry. He was at the doorway with Mikey and Donnie.

" Find them? " asked Audrey, moving away from Leo and walking up to the three.

" Yeah, find them and teach them a lesson. There's no way we can let them get away with this, " he said earnestly, his eyes softening when he saw her face up close.

" Definitely, " answered Leo seriously.

The four went to the window to leave,

" Will you be okay? " he asked, the last to go through the window.

" Yeah, I'll be fine but - "Audrey got closer to him to speak a little quieter. " Are you sure that this is a good idea, Leo? Maybe you should leave it alone. "

" No way! Bye, Audrey! " He attempted to leave quickly but Audrey grabbed his hand, whatever she was going to say before flying out of her mind as she remembered what she was going to give them.

" Wait! Seriously, I have something for you, " she said, running to her closet. Buried in a few boxes was the canister of mutagen she had found so long ago.

" Here, " she said sadly, handing it to him. " Goodbye, then, Leonardo. "

Leo took the canister, confused by her behavior.

" Thanks, I'm happy it didn't break but - what's wrong? " He stepped back inside.

" Nothing! " she insisted, folding her arms. Leo gave her a look that said he wasn't going to leave until she told.

Audrey sighed. " I'm sorry, I just. . .don't want you - you guys to leave me. I've gotten so used to you, and while I honestly forgot about the mutagen, I figured that once you had it you'd disappear. "

" It'll take more than that to get us to disappear, Audrey. "

She smiled, though the action pained her, and bid him goodnight.

" We attacked the girl. . .Master. She is conniving with the turtles. "

" What for? " the armored man asked.

" We don't know yet. "

" The turtles would never reveal themselves to a human girl willingly. Perhaps she is a threat to them? "

" No, Master, quite the opposite. The leader was the most furious when he learned of our. . .tangle with the girl. "

" Good. " He grinned from beneath his mask before sending his ninjas away.


	12. Chapter Twelve: Audrey's First Lesson

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

**P**erhaps baggy clothes weren't the best choice to wear for her first lesson. Audrey tugged uncomfortably at her black hair, which was put up in a long ponytail, recommended by Leo who said it'd get in the way during a fight. It had been two weeks since the attack from the Purple Dragons, and Leo wanted to teach her to defend herself. Now that she hung around them, she was bound to be a target for their enemies.

She felt a vulnerability with the back of her neck bare like that.

The two were in the dojo, and Leo decided to start with some defense: he was going to attack her and she had to stop him in any way she could. Simple enough.

So it sounded.

" How? " asked Audrey, furrowing her eyebrows in thought.

" In any way you can, " he repeated, taking a fighting stance. " Ready? "

Though she would never be ready, Audrey nodded and took her position as Leo attacked. She could tell that he was being as gentle as possible but gradually became irritated with herself after hitting the mat three, four, _five _times.

The last time, and she wasn't even precisely sure about how she did it, Audrey grabbed Leo's arm and flipped him over onto his shell. He swiped his leg under her and made her fall on top of him, but Audrey still cheered for her first success, small as it was.

" Still did it! " she laughed, though the bruises on her face hurt when she moved any muscles.

Taking advantage of her distracted state, Leo flipped her over, and pinned her arms down beside her, staring down at her with a triumphant smirk. But she could see right through him; he was examining her bruises again.

Audrey struggled to get up for a few minutes before remembering what he had told her: her job was to stop him _in any way she could_. Doing anything possible really meant _anything_ possible.

Propping herself up on her elbows, he gave her some leeway which allowed her to lean up quickly and kiss him on the neck. Leo froze and, with much confidence this time, Audrey managed to pin him down for the last time.

" I can disarm you in any way possible, " she repeated mischievously.

A flush grew up his green neck and cheeks. Whistling and whooping came from the dojo entrance and the two turned to see his brothers. Her confidence supply - or rather her flirtatious attitude - now depleted, Audrey apologized and got off of him.

" Don't be sorry, " he said, composing himself though he was still red in the face. " You're right; it was a good tactic. Enough for today? "

Audrey nodded, trying to ignore Raph's whistles and Donnie's ever-knowing smirk. Mikey, who as per usual wasn't paying them any attention, heard the noise and looked to them, wondering what his brothers were making all the ruckus for.

She took a seat in the corner and pulled out her hair binder as she watched as the four train with Splinter.

" I don't know if we should practice together, Leo; you might be too easy to beat, " said Raph, cracking his knuckles. " I mean, _Audrey _beat you. "

" Haha, Raph, " he said sarcastically.

" Hey! " Audrey protested from her corner. " I can _hear _you! "

" I know, " he grinned back at her, the distraction causing him to get smacked in the face by Leo.

When the turtle's training was over they were dismissed and able to do whatever they pleased. Audrey choose to hang around for awhile, playing videogames with Mikey.

" What! " the turtle exclaimed, dropping his jaw and looking at her in disbelief. " You _beat _me! "

Audrey giggled.

" Don't sound so surprised, Mikey, I _do _have some skill y'know, " she joked.

" Unlike Leo. " Raph snorted, looking up from his comic book. The three immediately looked for Leo's reaction; the dark skinned turtle's blush could be seen from where he continued his training.

" Aw, knock it off already, Raph, " she said. Then she turned to Leo, " Why are you still training, Leo? Wanna play? There's a third controller. . . "

He shook his head, unfazed now.

" No, I'm fine. "

Audrey made to get up and go after him as he left the room but Mikey's voice stopped her.

" Round two? " he said, his eyes big and round. " Pleeeease? "

" Alright, then. " she gave in, sitting back down. She lost every round she played, focused on Leo at the back of her mind.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Babysitting

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN **

**A**s soon as Audrey got home Wednesday evening she threw her backpack on the couch and sat in front of the TV. She turned on some cartoons, wanting to escape the world for a few hours. Just as she began to doze off, her shellphone rang.

At first, she was confused as to why her neighbor, Mrs. Loiselle, had her number before realizing Donnie must've set this phone to her old number, keeping her old contacts as well.

" Hello? " Audrey answered in a croaky voice. She cleared her throat.

" Hello, Audrey. Have I woken you? "

" No, no, I'm fine. " she lied in spite of herself.

" I'm sorry to bother you and ask last minute but can you babysit tonight? Something urgent has come up at work and I can't get anyone else at such a short notice. " She sounded so anxious that Audrey couldn't turn her down.

" Of course! " She stifled another yawn.

After saying her thanks, Mrs. Loiselle bid her goodbye with the reassurance that she'd be down at Audrey's apartment in five minutes and hung up. Audrey cleaned herself up and waited patiently.

" Thank you again, Audrey, you're a lifesaver, " Mrs. Loiselle said, handing three year old Rosie to her.

" It's no problem, " she shrugged, holding the girl with one arm to the side of her hip. " Really. "

" Hi, " the little girl said, smiling. Audrey smiled back and adjusted her hold.

" Here's her bag with pull-ups, some snacks, and some toys. I should only be until twelve tonight, but I can pick Rosie up at eight or so tomorrow, so I don't have to wake you up, "she said, her phone vibrating in her pocket.

" Sounds great, " Audrey smiled, taking the bag in her other hand. " I've got it, we'll be fine. Sounds like you should get going. "

" Thank you. " Mrs. Loiselle said again before leaving. Audrey shut the door and locked it.

" So, Rosie, " she said to the little girl as she brought her to the couch. " What do you want to do? "

" Play! " the tiny tot exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Audrey sat her down on the floor and pulled her toys from the bag. She heard the gentlest _tap_ come from an upstairs window and froze. She was afraid at first, being with a child, but became calm when she realized that what enemy would knock before entering?

" I'll be right back, okay, sweetie? " Audrey said, patting her on the head before running up the stairs into her bedroom.

Leo was already inside, leaning against her wall.

" Hey. Who's that downstairs? " he said.

" I'm babysitting. . .she's only three, perhaps you could come down anyways and hang around for a bit? " Audrey suggested, not sure why his appearance was making her smile, or why her heart sped up at the sight of him. She'd have to get that checked out.

" Alright then. . . " he said hesitantly as they walked downstairs together.

" Turtle! " Rosie gasped in amazement, standing up on her stubby little legs and stumbling over to them. Audrey chuckled quietly at the sight of Leo's bewildered face as the little girl wrapped herself around his legs.

" Now, Rosie, this is my imaginary friend, Mr. Turtle, " Audrey addressed the child sternly, trying to keep a straight face. " If you don't tell _anyone _else, he can be your best friend too. "

Rosie's little mouth fell into an 'O' shape as she regarded her words and nodded eagerly. The teenagers' faces broken in grins at the same time; she was undeniably cute.

" Will you play with me? I gots lots of toys! " she exclaimed, already dragging Leo to her toys. Audrey trailed behind with a smile and sat on the couch, watching them. The turtle was surprisingly good with children, and Audrey was thinking about grabbing the camera from the kitchen when she realized sadly that she couldn't.

If she lost the camera and someone else had found the pictures on it, what would happen to the turtles?

Getting to know them and April, admittedly, was the best thing that ever happened to her.

" He's gonna get you! " Audrey heard Leo playfully growl, jerking her out of her thoughts, followed by Rosie's giggle as she stood up and ran.

After he got the girl to settle back down, Leo let Rosie play by herself and sat down next to Audrey, who tried to wipe the smirk off her face, failing miserably.

" What? " he asked, bemused.

" Oh, nothing. . . " she said nonchalantly, folding her arms. " Except I'm just wondering 'what would Leonardo's brothers do if they saw him right now?' "

Leo blushed horribly and Audrey nearly _giggled_ at the sight of him. What was he _doing _to her?

" Don't worry, " she said before he could tackle her. " The fact that you're secretly adorable will stay safe with me, Leo. "

" What! I'm a _ninja_, Audrey, I can't be adorable! " he protested with a grin.

" I don't know, your recent behavior begs to differ. "

" Time for bed, Rosie, " Audrey announced at eight o'clock, picking the little girl up. She would be staying in Audrey's bedroom.

" Aw, but I wanna stay with Mr. Turtle, " she whined.

" You'll see Mr. Turtle again, " she lied, but it made the child a little more eager to go to bed.

" Bye, bye. " Rosie waved to Leo. Audrey took her to her bedroom and tucked her in. She checked the closet for monsters and even checked under the bed. Rosie's last request was that she turn on the nightlight.

" Rosie is cute, " he said, appearing out of nowhere as Audrey shut her door, startling her. _Stupid ninjas_. She glared at him playfully as they continued back to the living room.

" So are you, " she said. " I didn't know you liked kids. "

" Me either. Erm, I originally came over to talk about the Foot Clan's activity. "

" Foot Clan? " Audrey asked, sitting back down on the couch.

" Yes, they're Shredder's. . .lackeys, we'll go with. Trained ninjas. Of course, not better than us, but quantity often beats quality. " he shrugged, making her grin at his lack of modesty. " Either way, they've been quiet lately and we don't know why. It's strange. "

" Oh. " she hummed. " Who's the Shredder? I mean, I know he's an enemy but why? "

" He and Master Splinter fell in love with the same woman. . .when he was a human, " Leo explained. " To give you the short version; Splinter was taunted into a fight that caused the death of his wife. Shredder blames him for it. "

Splinter was human once? Audrey had never really thought about it, honestly.

" That's awful. " she breathed.

" The Shredder is ruthless; the idea of revenge has consumed him, " he said bitterly. " He is no more human than I am. "

Audrey frowned. " Don't say that. "

Leo seemed to snap out of a daze.

" Say what? "

" That you guys aren't human. " she explained. " You said that the mutagen is what mutated you, and it morphs you into, basically, whatever you last had contact with? "

When he nodded and opened his mouth to speak, she continued.

" Then human DNA must be mixed with your turtle DNA. Not to mention that you're obviously part-human - you possess human characteristics, like sadness and anger, happiness and love. . . "

Audrey felt like she was seeing the world when his blue eyes met hers.


	14. Chapter Fourteen:Cockroaches & Innocence

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN **

**" C**ockroaches? " Audrey snorted. " Big, bad Raphael is afraid of little _cockroaches_? "

" Shut it, Audrey, " he growled, clenching his fist at his side.

" I know! " Mikey snickered. " It's hilarious! "

" But - you live in the sewers! " she exclaimed, standing beside Mikey. " Aren't there millions of them down there? Shouldn't you be used to them by now? "

Raph stood up from the couch and literally snarled at the two laughing teenagers.

" Come here, you! " he growled, chasing after them. Audrey and Mikey squealed, running as fast as they could. But Mikey, of course, was faster, leaving Audrey in his dust.

" Leo! " she laughed, hiding behind him when he entered the room.

" Leave her alone, Raph, " he said, folding his arms. Though he had really no idea what was going on. Audrey stuck her tongue out at the dark-green turtle from over his shoulder.

Raph glared at him before resuming his chase of Mikey.

" Mikey! " he called.

" Thanks, Hero-Boy, " she said, coming up from behind him when Raph was gone. She skipped to the kitchen.

" Hero-Boy? " Leo queried, amused.

Audrey shrugged and rummaged through the fridge. " Pasta sound good tonight? "

" Sounds great, " he smiled at her. All of a sudden, shivers ran down Audrey's arms, making her blush.

_Knock it off_, she told herself, looking around for the ingredients. She had been doing that alot lately and she didn't know why.

" Mikey? " Audrey called out, filling a pot with hot water. " Wanna help? "

He responded with a high-pitched scream and the clanging of unknown items. She winced and decided to leave him alone.

" I can help. " Leo offered, standing up from his seat.

" Thanks, Leo, " she said, putting the pot on the stove to boil. " You won't have to do much. Wanna toast the garlic bread? "

" I've got it, " he said, rummaging through the freezer for the frozen bread. Ice Cream Kitty handed it to him. " I should warn you though, I really can't cook. I tend to burn things. "

Audrey waved away his words. " Whatever. You can't possibly be _that _bad, Leo. "

He proved her wrong twenty minutes later when he burned the garlic bread so badly a cloud of black smoke puffed out when they opened the oven.

" B-but _how? _" Audrey said, a tad bit dramatically before bursting into laughter. " Oh my gosh, you really are dreadful, Leo! "

" I told you! " he said in an accusatory tone, taking the oven mitts and pulling out the tray only to dump it's contents into the garbage.

She grinned and set the table.

" Food's ready! " Audrey called, the sound of thundering footsteps arriving shortly after.

" Leo cooked that? " Donnie asked, pointing at the table. When she nodded he turned around. " Okay, I'll just go find some pizza - "

" Donnie! " she laughed. " He only demolished the bread, I did the spaghetti. "

" Oh, " he said, grabbing a plate. " In that case then - "

He shoveled food onto his plate, though it couldn't compare to Mikey's mountain. Audrey shook her head; that kid ate _a lot_.

As soon as she left the bathroom, Audrey was tackled to the ground with an _oof! _

" Raph? " she said before he began to tickle her.

" This is for earlier, " Raph said. He tickled her to the point where she had had enough and she instinctively grabbed his arm and flipped the turtle over on his shell.

As Raph lay there groaning, beat only by pure surprise, Audrey stood above him.

" I'm getting good at that. " she commented in a mild tone.

" You know, Audrey, " Donnie said as they came into the kitchen, Raph rubbing his head. " Your look of innocence seems to be a great weapon for you. No one expects - and no offense - a small thing like you to be anything but defenseless. "

" Thanks? " Audrey laughed, winking at Raph.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Learning About Kraang

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN **

**A**udrey was so excited to get more answers, her curiosity couldn't be quenched.

" I think that we'll just start with pictures, " Donnie said, pulling some up on his laptop. Something flickered behind his file.

" Donnie, is that April? " she said, trying to catch another glimpse.

" No, " he said, frantically pulling up tabs to cover his background photo while his brothers sniggered at him.

" Donnie likes her, " Mikey explained to Audrey, who made an 'O' shape with her mouth.

" Well, I feel dumb. I should've picked up on that earlier. " she frowned.

" I know, " Raph said blatantly, earning a punch on the shoulder.

Donnie blushed but said nothing.

" _Anyways_, " he continued. " These are the Kraang. "

Audrey inspected the pictures, making a face at them.

" Gross, they look like brains with eyes and mouths. . .and tentacles. "

" I know, " Mikey said. " They're squishy too. "

" The Mutagen is what's in the green canister you found. They're spread all throughout New York City, I don't know how many. They're unstable because the Kraang haven't perfected it yet; so mutants like us are the result. And you've met others like Dogpound and Fishface, " Donnie said. " The Kraang want to terraform the Earth so _they _can live here. They want to take over. "

" Urg, " she said in disgust. " That sucks. "

While Donnie typed away on his computer (goodness knows what he was doing), Audrey was turning to Mikey to talk about the Kraang when she instead encountered a mouthful of water. Spluttering, Audrey wiped her face and growled at the boy.

" Michelangelo, you are _so _dead! Come here, you! " she shouted, chasing him. " Mikey! "


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Misconceptions

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN **

**I**t was closing time at Murakami's Sushi Shop but Audrey would not be going home quite yet. The turtles would be visiting after hours to eat.

She was flipping the open sign to closed when she felt a small puff of air hit the back of her neck.

" Hey, Leo, " she said, turning around.

" You're getting good at that! " he remarked, astonished.

" Or you're just getting predictable. " she shot back playfully, folding her arms.

" Audrey's probably right about that. You're losing your touch, Leo. " Mikey teased. " Hi, Audrey. "

" Hey, Mikey. "

Leo was not amused.

" Hello, turtles, Audrey. What would you like to eat? " Murakami asked them.

" Pizza Gyoza! " the four exclaimed at the same time, their eyes wide.

" I'll have the same. " Audrey grinned, looking at Leo. Murakami bowed and prepared their food.

" So, Audrey, " Leo said quietly, turning to her while Murakami made their meal. " How are you taking in all of this. . .Kraang stuff? "

She shrugged and began to fiddle with the ends of her hair.

" I don't know, I mean, I'm taking it the way I have with everything else. One step at a time. " Suddenly, her mouth grew into a grin. " Who am I kidding? I'm freaking out on the inside! "

" Ah, well, " Leo said. " It's nothing you have to worry about. It's our problem. "

Audrey thanked Murakami and took a few bites of her Pizza Gyoza before replying,

" Nuh-uh. " She swallowed. " I'm involved now; I can't just ignore it, Leo, not now that I know what's going on. "

" No way! You're already into trouble with the Shredder; we don't need someone else trying to kill you, " he said sternly.

Audrey rolled her eyes and jumped slightly when Raph interrupted them.

" Hey, there's no stopping her, Leo, you might as well help her. " he shrugged.

" I deserve a fighting chance too, " she added earnestly. Leo pursed his lips and glared at them.

" Leonardo, " Murakami said suddenly. " Are you courting Audrey? "

The targeted teenagers dropped their jaws and looked at each other, blush rising up their necks and cheeks.

" Uh, _no_, Mr. Murakami, " Leo said for the both of them. " Why would you think that? "

" Oh! It's just that you have a chemistry like no other. My mistake, " he said in a mild tone.

Audrey narrowed her eyes at the man; _how_ did he do that?

Unfortunately, this made for great teasing materiel for Raph, Mikey, and Donnie on their way home.

Author's Note: So I just updated DA starting with chapter thirteen to chapter sixteen as my New Years present to you (oops sorry if I sound conceited ^-^ /.\)  
>Really crappy chapters, the kind I despise but I have to just work through it before I can do the rewrite. My goal is to finish writing the story, then the rewrite will be the hard, fun work.<br>Happy New Years! :) I'm going to eat chocolate.  
>Thank you to all my readers, I really am thankful for what I have and I have many more stories to share with you! Going to edit and format now! (or later, I'm lazy)<p> 


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Fearless Leader

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN **

" You can stay home you know, Audrey. You don't have to come. " Leo insisted - for the hundredth time.

" Oh, honestly, Leo. " she huffed and rolled her eyes. " I know I'm not nearly as skilled as you guys but it's _just _patrol. You can't possibly tell me that you encounter something bad _every _time. Besides, you have no problem taking April along! "

" Oh, we don't, " Mikey chipped, getting smacked on the head by Raph.

" It's not that - " he said quickly, cut off by Donnie.

" Look! "

The six looked down from the rooftop and saw the Purple Dragons transporting something into TCRI under the watch of Kraang Droids.

" The Purple Dragons are working with the Kraang? " she whispered. " How? They're thugs - they're not _that _high up, I don't even think they're that intelligent. "

" No, they work for the Shredder, " Leo said, narrowing his eyes at them.

" Which means they're working _for_ the Kraang. " Donnie gulped. " This is bad. Don't they know that they're only helping their own demise? "

Raph pulled out his sai and spun them with his fingers.

" Let's take 'em down, then. "

Leo grabbed his shoulder and held him back when he made to jump down.

" Raph, stop. We can't just barge in there. "

Raph pulled away roughly and faced his brother. He seemed strangely tense.

" Then what do you propose, O' Fearless Leader? We don't have all day to wait around for you. "

" Raph - " Audrey interjected, trying to keep him quiet so the Kraang wouldn't hear them. But apparently he didn't care. He shoved her away from him, and by the look on his face, he didn't know his own strength but he made no action to apologize as she hit the ground, hard.

" The only reason we hang around you is because of Lame-O-Nardo, and quite frankly, I don't know why I listen to him, " he said harshly.

Audrey's eyes watered but she didn't want him to see her cry.

" Raphael! " Leo growled, going after him. Donnie immediately went to pull the two apart while Mikey helped Audrey up.

" That was not cool, dude, " he said to Raph, who probably didn't hear him, adding, " - and not true. You know you're my best friend, Audrey. I'm gonna take you home, okay? "

She nodded sadly, " Thanks, Mikey. "

Unfortunately, it was at this moment that the Kraang Droids decided to show up.

" It is the turtles who will be known as dead turtles when Kraang is through with them. "

" Do they all talk like that? " Audrey asked, unamused as she was shoved behind them.

They pulled out their weapons and kept a rotating circle around her.

" Stay behind us, Audrey, I mean it, " Leo ordered, slicing the head off of a droid.

She sighed and gasped in surprise when two of the Kraang squeezed themselves in and grabbed her by the wrists, pulling her out. Audrey squirmed and tried kicking at their shins to no avail.

" Ugh, get _off _of me! " _These 'protective circles' never work Leo!_

It aimed the gun at her head and prepared to shoot, but Donnie knocked it out of it's hands and whacked it away with his bo staff.

" Mikey, you need to get her out of here! " Leo said, breathing heavily.

" Can do! " he said, grabbing Audrey's hand and pulling her away while his brothers covered them.

" So that's - " Audrey panted, leaning against the alleyway wall, " - the Kraang? They're robots? Thought you said they were aliens. "

" Are you alright, Audrey? You're not hurt? " Mikey said seriously. Once he learned that she was perfectly fine, despite her first meeting with aliens, he said, " They are, they just have bodies that they've invented to use as weapons, communicators, and ways of getting around quicker. They've invented a lot of stuff. "

He let her process the new information before he continued,

" But like I said before, Audrey, " he said seriously. " Raph is wrong. He's just hot-tempered and jealous, he doesn't mean half the things he says. He doesn't know what he's saying when he's angry. Take it from someone who's lived with him for sixteen years. "

" I know, I guess, " she sighed. " I just wish he didn't hate me so much. "

" Nah, he doesn't hate you. He's just jealous. "

Audrey shook her head; that didn't seem like the case.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Christmas

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN **

**A**udrey secretly loved special events in which she could dress up. The turtles had long been her family now, and she couldn't think of anyone better to spend the holidays with. They had long ago learned about the people above thanks to Master Splinter and adopted human holidays, like Christmas and New Years. Donning a red dress Sean had given her last Christmas, Audrey finished wrapping the turtles' and April's presents. And yet again, she could not find anything for Leo. She knew him so much better now, but every idea thought of just wasn't good enough for someone like him. She liked him, she was attracted to him, she knew that much but still. . . No matter how much he protested, she owed him so much. He had become her protector and friend, someone she needed for a very long time and she didn't care if his arrival had been late. He came all the same.

Audrey groaned to herself; she was such a sap.

" Merry Christmas, Audrey, " said Master Splinter, the first to give her a hug when she arrived. Audrey smiled and picked up the presents once they parted, walking them to the Christmas tree. He had been silent, but as Audrey bent down to place them under the tree, she saw his shadow on the wall and spun around and the tips of her toes, pulling the turtle into a hug.

" Leo! "

His chest rumbled with laughter as he hugged her back.

" Hey, Audrey. You look great! Merry Christmas. "

" Thanks. " She blushed. " Merry Christmas, Leo. "

Their hug lingered for what could be considered a second too long under watchful eyes before they parted and went to the kitchen where the others were. Mikey was making cookies while Donnie and Raph, bored out of their minds, watched him.

" Thank goodness, " Raph grinned when he saw her. " Merry Christmas, Audrey. "

" Merry Christmas, Raph, Donnie, " she said, hugging the pair. She pulled her jacket off, hung it over a chair, and went into the kitchen to help Mikey bake.

They had to have baked at least two hundred cookies - so it felt. Audrey and Mikey somehow managed to get flour on their faces, though neither of the two would ever admit to doing so to one another.

While Raph and Donnie laughed at them, Leo stood up and gestured to their faces,

" Erm, you've got a little - "

Audrey was unaware of the flour on her face, so when she swiped the back of her hand on it, she was surprised to find the powder smeared on her hand. She grabbed the bowl and threw some at Mikey.

" Hey! " he protested, before his face broke into a grin and he chased after her.

After baking their cookies and letting them cool a while, everyone sat down in the family room together, talking amongst themselves about anything and everything.

" I'll get the hot chocolate. " Audrey volunteered, standing up. Leo stood up as well,

" I can get the tray of cookies - it's rather heavy. You guys made a lot, " he pointed out.

They walked into the kitchen together and the two felt something brush against their heads. Audrey looked up and blushed heavily; mistletoe. She looked back at Leo to see if he had noticed it as well, when suddenly, they were kissing. Though shocked, Audrey reacted quickly and melted into the kiss, butterflies rising in her stomach. But they were feelgood butterflies. She felt Leo begin to pull away and wrapped her arms around his neck, reassuring him as he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her even closer.

When they pulled away for air, their faces were glowing red, but Audrey didn't regret a second, smiling widely.

" They leave to get our cookies and hot chocolate and this is what they do instead? " the voice of Raph teased. Audrey's face flushed deeply furthermore, as she looked to the doorway. Grins graced the faces of their friends, including Master Splinter's.

" You underestimated Leonardo, Michelangelo. I won, " he said, turning to his son in orange. Mikey pouted.

" I knew that I shouldn't have put that mistletoe up. "

Embarrassed as she was at being caught, Audrey protested, parting from Leo,

" You bet on us?! "

" And won, " added Splinter, making them erupt in laughter.

" Sorry about them, " Leo mumbled out of embarrassment after they left.

" Aw, don't be, " she said, hugging him again. " Just be happy you have such a great family. "

_Or a family at all, _Audrey thought sullenly. She shook the thoughts away; she shouldn't think of something like that during Christmas time. The realization slapped her in the face; she couldn't believe that she kissed Leo, and soon her mind led her to believe that it was only the mistletoe that made it happen, making her feel unsure of herself.

Did he like her too though? Or did he feel obligated to kiss her simply because of a stupid plant?

Audrey sighed inside; her first kiss with a guy she really liked and she was focused on the possible negatives.

" You guys still kissing or are you gonna get us some cookies? " They heard Raph call, the sound of a _thwack_ following after.

" Raphael! " Master Splinter scolded him.

" No, we were gonna eat them all by ourselves! " Audrey called back sarcastically, now moving into the kitchen to pick up the tray. She tried to lift it several times, blushing when Leo got it for her. It _was _heavy.

" Thanks. " she laughed, brushing hair out of her face. Leo walked in ahead of her to put the tray on the table. When Audrey made to head in after him, Mikey appeared, puckering his lips out at her playfully.

" Ha-ha, Mikey. " Audrey teased, hip-checking him out of the way.

" It was worth a try. " he shrugged.


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Confessions

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

**A**udrey felt nervous. She was staying over Christmas night and was going to be sleeping in Leo's room. He had offered his room and choose to take the dojo. Except neither of the two could sleep, and she wasn't surprised to find him sneaking back in to check up on her.

" Hey. " she yawned, beckoning him inside. " I'm tired, but I really can't sleep. My mind is all over the place. "

" Same. " He sat next to Audrey on the side of the bed. She was covered in blankets. His body made the mattress dip down a bit. He didn't look it, but he sure was a heavy turtle.

" Best Christmas I've had in ages. " she smiled, looking at him. " Thank you. "

" No, thank _you, _Audrey. You've done more for us in the last couple months than we could ever ask, " he said sincerely.

" I could say the same thing to you, Leo. " Audrey chuckled. " But that's what friends are for, right? "

" It is but. . .you're different. "

She tilted her head curiously at his change in tone. Was she? Was that a bad thing?

" Different? "

" I mean, " Leo continued, seeming nervous as he fiddled with his fingers. " You were a really shy, fragile girl when we met and I know you think of that as a bad thing but. . .It only made you cuter. "

Cuter? Audrey blushed and looked down at the blanket, fiddling with it. Her mind fizzed out and she could no longer think, only listen.

" I thought that I was making it obvious; I mean, Raph said that I did and I didn't know how he could have found out if I wasn't, " he said. " But I really like you, Audrey Jackson. "

Audrey froze, not sure that she had heard the handsome turtle right.

" You - what? " She really _was_ oblivious sometimes.

By now, Leo seemed to have lost all his courage after the confession and made to get up and leave, but Audrey grabbed his hand, stopping him.

" But why? I mean, I like you too, I like you a lot, Leonardo, but why. . .me? " she said, looking to the ground. " Love and affection aren't really my forte. "

He chuckled nervously and held her hand.

" Why not? What's not to like, Audrey? You've practically taken us in as your brothers, you're great company, you're you, and - I mean. . .you're beautiful. "

Audrey shook her head in disagreement and blushed deeper. " You're kidding me, right? "

" I'm not. " he insisted. " And. . .this is hard, Audrey. Doing anything with you - _having _anything with you puts you in danger. I could never do that to you. It's already bad enough to fathom being unable to protect my brothers. . .Adding _you _to the mix? I can't. "

She didn't expect to sleep over so she was still wearing her red dress. Audrey took off the blanket and scooted to the edge of the bed, her legs hanging off.

" I don't care about the danger and it's honestly too late to change all that's happened. . . " she said seriously. " Not that I want to change _all _of it. I'll never regret meeting you - any of you. "

" I don't think you understand, Audrey, " Leo said seriously. " The _Shredder _knows about you, and he's planning something. I don't know what but - "

" Then we'll face it together, " she said simply, though she didn't understand the stakes as well as he did. She had never even met the man.

Audrey yawned while he sat there dumbly, unable to refute her points.

" Good night, then, " he said after a moment, standing up. She grabbed his hand before he could leave.

" Sleep with me? " she asked innocently. " Because honestly, you shouldn't take the couch - this is _your _bedroom, after all. "

Leo looked from the bed to her cheesy grin before nodding hesitantly. Audrey yawned again and snuggled into his blanket while he crept to the other side.

Audrey woke up in the middle of the night, breathing heavily as she had encountered yet another nightmare. Though startled at first, she relaxed when she realized that it was only Leo's arm wrapped around her waist and pulling her comfortably against him.

Butterflies erupted inside of her as she found herself smiling giddily.

_Get a grip, Audrey!_

She smiled and fell back asleep. No nightmares plagued her for the rest of the night.

" So are you two _dating _now? " Mikey asked with a mischievous grin as he served breakfast.

" Who? " Audrey asked, taking a bite of her scrambled eggs. " Thanks, by the way. "

" No problem, " he said, taking his own plate and sitting next to her. " And I meant you and _Leo_. "

He made kissy faces and she blushed, punching him on the shoulder.

" Knock it off, " she scolded him. " But to answer your question. . .I don't know. "

They were silent for a few moments, only the sound of forks clanking against their plates filling the room.

" Wanna go run the rooftops with me when we're done, then? " he asked. Audrey stabbed at her hash browns before looking back up at him.

" Sounds like a plan. "


	20. Chapter Twenty: Strange Feelings

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

**  
><strong>**A**udrey helped Mikey make breakfast in the morning, and as soon as they finished eating, Leo brought her home so she could shower and change.

She felt it as she toweled off; the feeling of being watched.

" Leo? " she called out. He didn't answer, so she figured that he must've been in her room or downstairs. But she couldn't shake the feeling. She left the bathroom and looked around. " Leo, seriously, if you're messing with me - "

" What are you talking about? " he said from behind her. He looked concerned, there was no way it could have been him.

" Then who - " Audrey looked around suspiciously before she shook her head and tightened her hold on her towel. " Nothing, sorry. Give me a few minutes. "

She went back up to her bedroom and put some clothes on. Something whirred, immediately putting her on alert. It wasn't just happening in her mind. She dug through her closet, looking around - for what, she didn't know, until she saw it in the corner; a camera.

" Leo! " Audrey screamed, pulling her shirt on.

He was in her bedroom within a split second, looking around quickly. " What, What?! "

" Look. " She pointed. It took him a moment, but he clenched his fists once he saw the little black video camera. " Who could've put those there? "

Leo got closer and examined it before pulling it out of the wall.

" The Shredder, " he said coldly. " It has to be. I'll have Donnie take a look at it. We need to get you out of here, Audrey. _Now_. You can stay at the Lair with us. "

" But - " Audrey protested as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the window. " - What about my things? And school and work? "

" I'm sorry but your safety comes first. Pack up, " Leo ordered.

Audrey opened her mouth to argue before she changed her mind and nodded. " Fine. "

She quickly packed some clothes and her T-Phone, taking one last look around her shoddy apartment before they left.

Before the Lair, they took a detour to Murakami's where Audrey explained her situation.

" I can manage alone for a little while, " the old man said, smiling at her. " I only hope that this will be over soon, and that you stay safe from harm. "

" Thank you, Murakami-San, " Audrey said, bowing out of respect.

" Goodbye Audrey, Leonardo. "

" I'll be back as soon as I can, " she assured him.

They went down to the sewers with her pre-packed knapsack where she'd be staying for, well, as long as she needed to.

Quite used to being around their home now, Audrey threw her bag into Leo's room and immediately went to help Mikey with dinner.

" Pizza tonight, Audrey, " he said when he saw her. " You doing alright? "

" Well, I guess I'm as fine as I'll ever be. " she sighed, sitting down. " When's it gonna be here? "

" Twenty minutes. " he replied. " Wanna train? We haven't done that in a while and if someone's after you. . . "

_You mean if the _Shredder's _after me. . ._

" Sure, " Audrey said. " Just give me a minute and let me go change. "

" You're getting better, Audrey! " Leo exclaimed as she fell backwards, panting.

" How long have we been training? " Audrey whined.

" It's only been an hour! " he said, stretching his arms. She dropped her jaw and glared at him. " Alright, alright, we can take a break. "

" The pizza's cold, dudette, it was hard to save even _one_ slice for you! " Mikey said when they entered the kitchen.

" Talk to Leo, " she said sourly, grabbing a slice and nibbling on the end.

" Hey! " Leo said defensively. " I just don't want you getting hurt, Audrey. "

Audrey bit back her retort and continued eating.

" Hey, Audrey, " Donnie said, entering the kitchen for a drink. She was surprised to see him even leave the lab. " Splinter wants to speak with you and Leo in the dojo. "

They exchanged looks before standing up and leaving.

" Nice to see you out and about, Donnie! " she called back as they disappeared around the corner.

" Master Splinter, " Leo said respectively as the two knelt down in front of him.

" Hello, Audrey, Leonardo has informed me about your current situation, with your brother who has gone missing. "

Her insides tightened. " Since September. I don't know where he's gone or if he's alive. . .I don't know why I haven't called the police. I'm so stupid! "

" No, " Splinter said, stroking his chin. " Perhaps it's best that you didn't. I have my. . .suspicions about his whereabouts. "

" You do? " she perked up.

" None of which that are good, " he said gravely. " I've noticed your growing relationship with the boys - particularly Leonardo. "

The two teenagers blushed but Splinter paid no mind as he continued,

" I believe that you may be used as a weapon against him. The Shredder wants to break Leonardo - he wants to break all of them. "

" Break them? " Audrey said quietly. " But - why? "

" He wants his revenge against me, " he sighed. " He took my daughter and killed Tang Shen in a fire many years ago. His jealousy consumed him and it does to this day. You know her as Karai but her name is Miwa. "

" Karai is your _daughter?! _" she exclaimed before turning to Leo and poking him in the chest. " And you never told me? "

" I - it didn't seem important! " he said defensively.

_For someone you sure like to spar with it was a vital fact!_

Audrey scoffed and folded her arms.

**Author's Note**: This is going to be 25 chapters in all and I still have chapters 24 + 25 to write. Shameless self promotion but if you like tmnt posts on instagram, follow me thebluetxrtle?

Working on the sequel as well and I think I'll let this one sit a few weeks while I work on the rewrite outline. Thanks so much for reading, and I apologize for the shittiness. The date for the sequel is TBD.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: New Years Eve

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

Audrey put on some comfy clothes and tied her hair up. Her and Leo were the last ones left to leave at the Lair, the others having already gone to April's to celebrate New Year's Eve. Her dad would be making them a casual dinner that night so they could eat out on the rooftop - with many reassurances from April that she wouldn't fall and had done it loads of times before - and watch the fireworks.

There was a knock on the bathroom door just as she was finishing up.

" Hey, " he smiled at her when she opened the door. " You ready to go? "

" Yup, " she said, taking one last look around before they left.

" It's nice to meet you, Mr. O'Neil, " Audrey said shaking his hand. He was a very jittery man.

" It's nice to meet you too, Audrey, April's told me a lot about you. " he smiled at her.

She raised an inquiring eyebrow at April, who simply shrugged.

" Good things, I hope. "

" Mostly. Come on guys, the fireworks are starting soon, " April said, the first to go out the fire escape. The six of them followed after, Audrey only mildly surprised when Leo held a hand out to help her up to the roof.

" Thanks. " she said, brushing hair out of her face.

" No problem, " he said, giving her a heart-melting grin.

April passed out blankets though only Mikey and Audrey took one. They sat on the edge of the building, wrapped in fleece and enjoying the beautiful colors of the fireworks. The time went by and finally they stood together, counting down the seconds to New Years.

" . . .five, four, three, two, one! "

Mikey blared out the toot of his noisemaker and Leo pulled Audrey close, kissing her on the lips. She laughed a little and kissed him back.

They stayed up until four that night, Audrey appalled to hear that they had all assumed that she wouldn't last that long.

" I stay up so long that I'm probably sleep deprived. " she declared, though it wasn't necessarily a good thing.

" But now, " Audrey yawned. " I think it's time I got to bed. Night, guys. Happy New Year's. "

" Happy New Year's. " They all wished her.

" I'll take you back to the Lair, " Leo said, standing up with her.

" Thank you, " she said, hiding a smile as she rubbed her eyes. Why did he make her feel so giddy?

Audrey woke up incredibly late the next morning - or rather, ten hours later. Leo was already up, and she found the rest of the turtles when she went down to the kitchen to make breakfast.

" So, " Mikey said excitedly, bouncing up and down in his seat. " How old are you gonna be tomorrow? "

" How'd you know? " she asked suspiciously, popping some bread in the toaster and taking eggs out of the fridge.

" Leo. "

" Ah. Seventeen. "

Audrey finished the eggs and got out some orange juice.

" You're old, " Leo commented with a grin.

" And you're young, " she shot back playfully.

" Hey! " he spluttered, pulling out plates from a cupboard. " Not even by much! I'm taller than you anyways! "

She pursed her lips before a grin grew on her face.

" So's Donnie, " she said, finally sitting down and taking the plate he handed to her. " In fact, he's taller than the both of us. "

" True, " Donnie chimed in.

Leo stuck his tongue out at her.

That was eight hours ago.

Audrey was restless and wanted to get out of the sewers. She wanted to go out on patrol with the boys but Leo was having none of it.

" No way, Audrey, it's best that you stay _here_, you know that, " he said earnestly.

" Leonardo, I'm _bored_, and it's only patrol! " she argued.

" Are you guys going to do this all night? " Raph said, folding his arms as he grew impatient. " We need to get moving. "

" Raph! " Audrey said, frowning as she gestured to Leo. But alas, no help would be given as he shook his head,

" I think he's right, Audrey. You're safer down _here_, at least until the Shredder's not after you anymore. "

" And when will that be?! " she exclaimed. " I can't just sit down here my whole life in fear!

" I don't know, but we need to get going " Leo said, grabbing her hands. " _Please _don't do anything rash and stupid, Audrey. "

" Rash and stupid, that's me alright. "

Annoyed, Audrey pulled away and flounced on the couch to watch the TV.

" Bye, Audrey, " Mikey said, only to be ignored, of course.

She fingered her necklace in thought, staring at the TV without watching. She sat there for about fifteen minutes before she couldn't take it anymore. She had to get out. Her boredom just got the best of her. But a walk hidden in the darkness couldn't hurt. Right?

She just needed to breathe. She'd only be five minutes.

Audrey snuck out of the sewers and sealed the cover before walking down the alley. The cool air felt good on her skin but the feeling soon evaporated as she realised, stupidly, that she forgot her jacket.

" Damn, it's c-cold, " she mumbled angrily, hugging herself.

" Audrey, no! "

Author's Note: Towards the end of the chapter and end of the book for that matter, I forgot about Audrey's birthday. Whoops.


	22. Chapter 22: Kidnappings and Discoveries

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

**I**t happened so quickly.

They came out of nowhere, surrounding them. The turtles immediately formed a circle around Audrey, having got to her first, and whipped out their weapons. Emotions battled inside her; she was both indignant and afraid. Something definitely wasn't right, and it wasn't that fact that ninjas were attempting to kill them. This was all her fault.

" Leo, " she whispered, her earlier anger evaporating and turning into fear as she grabbed his hand. He squeezed her hand but didn't look back at her. The turtles were definitely more skilled than mere Foot Clan members, but there were so many of them. Audrey knew immediately that it'd be a quantity over quality fight. Unannounced, they charged, some engaged in battle with the turtles, most trying to snatch at the girl who could be protected no longer. Audrey was pulled away from the turtles but was able to keep them at bay, hitting, kicking, and clawing at anything she could get at. She was doing pretty good - at first.

" No! " Audrey could feel the fight leaving her, until the only one being brutally beat was herself. Two members of the clan began to drag her to a van, gripping her wrists dangerously tight. Audrey let out a cry of pain as she was forced inside, hitting her head against the metal wall. Dizziness hit immediately.

" Audrey! " Leo shouted, finishing his opponents with a final kick and running towards her.

Head pounding, she was reaching out for him when the door was pulled shut. A blindfold was pulled over her eyes and her wrists were tied together roughly behind her. Her struggling was futile in the end. Bound and battered, one last blow to the head was all it took to send her into the realm of unconsciousness.

Audrey's head pounded ferociously when she came to. She was set upright in a chair now, her arms bound tightly to the arm rests. The back of her head felt wet; blood, she knew. She immediately took deep, silent and shaky breaths, trying to pull herself free. She couldn't stop her body from shaking. What could she say? It wasn't like she had ever been kidnapped before, and even if their intention wasn't to kill her, they probably would in the end.

It had been an ambush and Audrey was their target.

But _why? _Why her?

Audrey looked around the darkened room; she had never been there before. That had to have been Shredder's men who took her. Which meant that this must have been _his _lair.

Audrey heard the sound of footsteps come from behind her and quickly hung her head in attempt to fool him, to make him believe that she was still unconscious, to no avail. She just needed to buy herself some time. The turtles would help her, she knew it.

" I know you are awake, girl. "

Her insides boiled with anger and her head snapped up to look at the monster. Audrey was normally a calm person, but as she looked into the eyes of the man who trashed her home and destroyed her family, hatred became her demon.

" Coward! " Audrey shouted without thinking, pulling at her bindings. " You are unable to do your own dirty work, sending out hitmen to do it instead. "

She watched as his scarred eyes distorted into anger. But she did not care, she did not fear him. At the moment. She was much too angry herself, having been put in a bad situation that could only get worse the longer she was there.

His fist crashed down on her left cheek, nearly making her chair fall back, as it wobbled on its two back legs before falling back to its original position.

" You are weak! " he reminded her with a snarl. " And nothing more than bait. "

A sick feeling churned in her stomach as his words sunk in. The turtles. . .if they came to help her, she would be endangering them. Her fear had been confirmed.

" No! " she growled, not thinking as she still pulled at her bindings relentlessly. " You can't do this! "

" I can and I will, " he said darkly. Then he laughed. " Jackson! "

It was Audrey's turn to be confused. She was right there. . .who else could he be calling? A few minutes later and the sound of footsteps could be heard. A boy with black hair donning a Foot uniform appeared, breaking her heart. No words were needed as she looked up into his cold, steely blue eyes. They said it all.

" No. . . " she croaked, peeling her eyes away from what could only be a clone of her brother. He. . .was alive? The Shredder was cruel, taunting her like this. Audrey snarled and struggled harder now, wishing to strangle the less than a man. " You sick bastard! What did you use to blackmail him! What is this! "

He watched her drain herself of energy for a few mere minutes before dropping his two hands roughly on her arms and forcing her to look into his eyes. Audrey mustered the fiercest look that she could, boiling with anger.

" I did no such thing. I only persuaded him to train for the day he would take revenge on the turtles who murdered his parents, " he said, partially grinning at her due to the relish in his lies.

" They didn't! " she bellowed in his face, earning a powerful blow that snapped her head to the side. But she refused to believe him.

" They did, Audrey, " Sean said, speaking for the first time. Warm tears ran down her cheeks as Shredder backed away and allowed her brother to speak to her. " I saw it. They didn't save them in time. "

There was something robotic about the way he moved, the way he talked.

" You're lying! " she said, trying to ignore what was going on. How could her brother, the one who took care of her all these years, lie to her like that? " How could you do this to me, Sean! You're my brother, I trusted you, _I thought you were dead! _You _let _me think that! "

" And I'm truly sorry for that, Audrey, but it had to be done, " he said in a tone so sincere Audrey knew that he had to be delusional now. " Together we can destroy the turtles, together we can get our revenge for our parents. "

" 'Together'? " she spat. " I'll never help _you_ of all people! "

" But see, dear sister, you already have. " Sean smirked, walking around her. His weapon dragged on the ground tantalizingly. " You're such a pleasant actor; you've actually gotten one of those _pond scum_ to fall in love with you, and he'd surely sacrifice his brothers and himself to save you. They're coming now. "

" Leo would _never_ do that! " Audrey argued, her heart dropping like an anchor. _I hope_. Would he?

" I hear it in your voice, Audrey. " He chuckled as if their lives were a game. " The doubt. "

" I trust him. " _I love him_.

" And that was your problem in the first place. Fatal flaw, dear sister. Putting your trust in the wrong people is your fatal flaw. "

" I trusted you, didn't I? " she shot back at him.

Once more Audrey was gagged. Her chair was dragged out and placed on the bridge. The water Fishface generally swam in surrounded her, the glass removed. They were so kind to remind her of his venomous fangs. They were setting up their trap. It was Sean who was naive, not her. This would not end well for either side.

" I'll take care of Leonardo for you, sweetheart. " taunted Karai as she took her hiding place. Audrey glared at the spot the girl disappeared to and strained against her bonds, ignoring the chafing of her wrists. While she was visibly alone, she knew they were there. She could prevent the ambush if she could just. Get. Herself. Out!

Ten minutes later and she was completely worn. A green flash caught her eye as her turtle slid down on rope from the glass ceiling.

" Audrey! " Leo whispered in relief, immediately working on her bindings. As soon as her left arm was freed, she pulled the gag out,

" Ambush! " she warned, coughing from the dryness of her mouth. " It's an ambush, Leo! "

He nodded in understanding, his eyes turning white, and left her to free herself as he spun around to meet Karai's attack with his twin Katana blades. She worked fervently to get herself completely out just before the Foot came after her. Audrey didn't have much in the way of a weapon to defend herself; she could barely hold them off, kicking and punching.

Mikey, Donnie, and Raph arrived mere seconds later, Raph aiding her.

" Come on, " he insisted, grabbing her by the waist. " Let's go. "

Audrey immediately turned to look at Leo just as one of his blades flew out of his hand. Her eyes widened out of fear for him and Leo took a second to glare at Raph.

" Get her out of here! "

" No! Leo! " She squirmed as Raph threw her over his shoulder. They had known from the beginning that Audrey wouldn't leave without Leo.

" He can handle her, you know it, Audrey. " he insisted.

" Raph, _stop! _They're planning to kill him, we can't leave him! " she pleaded, squirming. If Shredder wanted Leo dead, leaving home would only aid the monster.

" He's got Mikey and Donnie to help him - I'm getting you out! " he said, jumping to the roof. He just didn't understand. And she didn't have time to explain.

" No! " She broke free mid-jump and fell from his arms, landing painfully on her feet.

" Audrey! " Raph shouted angrily from the opposite side, the worry seeping into his tone. Mikey and Donnie were working on the electrical wiring of the building now, so they could set the building in darkness and help Leo escape. They were nowhere to be seen now. She wished Mikey were there now, though. He would've listened to her. Audrey turned around,

" I'm sorry, Raph! " she shouted before running back inside. She stood on the upper level and watched Leo fight off not only the Shredder, but Karai and members of the Foot Clan coming to aid their foe. Audrey knew that his brothers would be inside within seconds, but those were seconds that couldn't be wasted. It only took a few seconds to kill someone.

" Time for that training to pay off, " she said to herself, minimal and minor as said training had been. Audrey grabbed a secluded broom from the corner and broke off the end, spinning like a baton with her hands. Like a bo staff.

_Thank _you_, Donnie. And Leo, I suppose_.

" Hey! " Audrey shouted, catching their attention before running into the group. Most of the Foot backed away, temporarily surprised that such a weak girl was making a move. But both Karai and Shredder stood their ground, Karai meeting her broken broom stick with a single katana blade.

_I'm so dead_. she gulped.

Audrey mostly went defense, only able to kick as any form of offense, and maybe beat her a few times with her makeshift bo staff. She wasn't nearly as skilled as anyone else present, nor as strong, and very aware now that she could die. But if left alone, so could Leo. And there was no way that she was going to take that chance.

" I told you to _leave! _" Leo grunted, his shell meeting her back as he blocked one of Karai's attacks for her. They moved as smoothly as water over rocks together, turning in a circle to hold off their opponents.

" Not a chance, Leonardo, " she hissed back, sweating now. If she survived this, Audrey promised to train so much harder. " I got you into this mess, so I'm getting you out of it. You're not facing it alone. "

Shredder laughed. " Such bold words coming from a teenager, an amateaur kunoichi nonetheless. Do you really think you have a chance? "

Ignoring his taunts, Audrey finished Karai with a strong kick to the stomach, something none of them expected. His laughter ceased immediately, and Leo saw the murderous look on Shredder's face.

" Karai! " he bellowed, turning to his foot soldiers. " Finish her, Jackson! "

Taking on another Foot Clan member, she looked into the eye holes of his mask and hesitated for a millisecond. _Sean._

_If you stop, Leo doesn't stand a chance. Don't you dare cry_, she told herself sternly, holding up the broomstick. _Not over this asshole. Not anymore._

" You were given the chance, Audrey, " he said, aiming blow after blow, dismantling her broomstick at one point. She could barely raise her arms to defend herself. " The chance to save yourself. The chance to walk out and live. "

Audrey grunted when he punched her in the face and broke her nose. He used only fists, no weapons. Did he deem her unworthy of a real fight?

" It wouldn't be living if I didn't have Leo, " she said honestly, gasping when he caught her fist and flipped her onto her back. Pain grew from the small of her back all the way up her spine. " I wouldn't be living if I didn't have my brothers - my _real _brothers. "

" Audrey! " Leo shouted, barely keeping the Shredder at bay with one arm. He threw his last katana sword towards her, and it slid on the ground. Wheezing painfully, Audrey grabbed it with both hands and shoved it up before her in self defense. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion now. Horrified and trapped on her back between Sean and the ground, she watched as the weapon went up and through his chest to the hilt. He gasped and spluttered, hanging over her. His blue eyes were wide and full of disbelief; his little sister _stabbed_ him. They never shut, so she couldn't make herself believe that he was sleeping.

Audrey blinked, lying there motionless as the blood dripped from his chest for the first few seconds before she hiccuped and began to cry, throwing his now dead body off of her.

" Sean, " she choked. She watched the life leave his body, unaware of the disappearance of Shredder and the Foot Clan. The world felt dead to her now.


	23. Chapter 23: Comfort

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

**A**udrey sobbed in Leo's arms, her heart feeling heavier than ever before. It just hurt so badly. Mikey and Donnie had arrived in time to help them escape after shutting down the building's lights. Leo eventually stopped running and set her down on a rooftop before pulling her close and hugging her.

" Oh, Audrey, " he said sympathetically. " I'm so sorry. "

" I killed him! I killed my brother! " she cried, struggling to breathe.

Mikey, Donnie, and Raph watched them from afar, looks of pity on their faces.

" Shh, " Leo said gently, stroking her head. " It's alright, it's not your fault. Breathe, Audrey, breathe. "

" He - he just kept coming after me! I didn't know what to do - I wasn't thinking, and then you gave me your katana - I just wasn't thinking! " Audrey sobbed into his shoulder. She had never had a broken heart before and quite frankly, it hurt more than any of the physical wounds on her body.

" Stop it, " he said, kissing her head. He turned to his brothers, " You guys can keep going. "

They nodded sullenly, and once they were gone, Leo stroked her hair and wiped her eyes.

" I was scared. I was so scared that I was going to lose you, Audrey. I know it hurts to hear, but it was either your brother or you. He was going to _kill_ you. You did what you had to and I'm so proud of you. "

Audrey hugged him harder and hiccuped, her heart still beating ferociously.

" It's my fault, " she cried, continuing quickly when she felt that he was going to protest. " It is though. If I could handle myself in a damn fight, none of this would have happened and Sean wouldn't be dead. I wasn't strong enough to hold any of them off. "

Leo pulled her away from his body slowly and wiped her tears away with a gentle hand once more. The motion was comforting.

" It's not. You can't blame yourself for the things you can't do. I couldn't protect you, and I tried _so _hard, Audrey. " he sighed.

" There were too many! " she protested, finally looking up at him before she realized that he had tricked her." Leo! "

The turtle smiled down at her sadly.

Audrey sighed and leaned into his body once more, her heart beating wildly.

" All this time, though, " she hiccuped again. " All this time and my brother was with the Shredder. He fooled me well. It was a set up. And now he's dead. I thought I knew him. "

" I'm sorry, beautiful, I'm so sorry. Out of all the people in the world, you are the last to deserve anything like this. " Leo sighed.

He sat there holding her for as long as she needed, and when her breathing slowed to normal, he picked her up and brought her back down to the sewers.


	24. Chapter 24: Facing Reality

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

**A**udrey stayed underground in the Lair for a period of a week until she was ready face the police. She couldn't handle being questioned immediately after his death and they needed to get her story straight after she started feeling better. It would always hurt, but not as much as yesterday. She'd just have to face the world one day at a time.

Leo was all for keeping her down there with them longer but Donnie insisted that it was in Audrey's best interest to go while the wounds were still fresh, both in her mind _and _body.

" . . .And there you have it, Audrey Jackson has been fending for herself for the past few months. . . "

" . . .A deranged killer kidnapped seventeen year old Audrey Jackson a month ago, police inquire as to where she has been all this time. . . "

" Mikey, _please _turn off the TV, " she said sullenly as she fell back on the couch with a packed bag of clothes and necessities.

" Oh, Audrey, it's not that far away, " Leo said, rubbing her back comfortingly. " We can still visit you on the rooftop and you know you can always come down to the Lair. "

" I don't think you get it, Leo, " she said, rubbing her face tiredly before looking up at him. " My grandma is _never _going to let me out after this. She's far too protective. "

" Hey, we'll make it work. It's probably better you live with her anyways. "

Audrey gave him an unamused look and folded her arms.

" Aw, come on, Audrey, " he said, sitting down next to her and grabbing her hand. " I'm only trying to make light of a bad situation. I don't know what else to do. "

" I know, I know. " she sighed. " I'm having a hard enough time as it is. "

" Hey, don't worry about it. After you get settled in, do you want to come down to the Lair to hang out awhile? Donnie, Mikey, and Raph are planning on going skateboarding so it'd be just us, " Leo suggested with a lighthearted grin.

" That sounds nice, " she said, smiling her first genuine smile in a while. Leo had that way of making her feel all bubbly inside and she honestly loved it. Audrey only hoped he felt the same. When she expressed these thoughts to Mikey, he laughed kindly and called her crazy. He was heads over heels for her.

Audrey was right, she finally had to lock her bedroom door with the excuse that she wanted undisrupted sleep in order to get her grandmother to leave her alone. And it worked. She went through the window and left with Leo's aid. Once they arrived at the Lair they gathered blankets from Leo's bedroom and made popcorn. Snuggled close together, Audrey munched on the popcorn while Leo pressed the play button. Audrey didn't care much for Space Heroes, but she could humor him.

" They haven't gone away, have they? "

Her breath hitched at the reminder. " What? "

" Honestly, Audrey, why didn't you tell me? " he said, exasperated.

" What was I _supposed_ to say?! " she huffed, annoyed. " 'Hey, Leo, I'm getting guilt nightmares because I killed my brother - ' "

" Stop that! " he snapped, grabbing her face gently when she looked away. " It wasn't your fault, Audrey, he was going to kill you. You know that. Hurting yourself won't bring him back. "

" It doesn't change the fact that I did it, Leonardo, I killed him! " she shouted at him, tears streaming down her face as she pushed him away. Audrey fought back and struggled for a few minutes before giving in and sobbing into his chest.

" I just want him back, Leo, I want my brother back. . . "

" Shhh, it's okay, beautiful, it's okay. You can't change the path your brother chose, " he whispered, stroking Audrey's hair. " It'll get better, Audrey. "

" When? "

" You've just gotta give it time. "

" It takes _too_ much time! " she complained.


	25. Chapter 25: Last Chapter

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE **

**S**chool was a huge change for Audrey when she went back in the fall - good or bad she didn't know how to describe her situation. It was different; people flocked her, wanting to get the unrevealed details to her story. Yeah, like Audrey was going to tell them about Mutants and revenge plans. She became much better friends with April and Casey - er, well, mostly April, but she had a _better _relationship with Casey than before.

Audrey got even closer to Leo over the summer but as someone who liked to label things, she didn't know what they were.

Were they dating or were they merely friends? She didn't know how Leo felt but she definitely liked him.

April and Mikey thought that she was being ridiculous; they said that their affection for each other was so obvious that even _Casey _had picked it up.

Unfortunately having school, Audrey was unable to venture into Dimension X with the turtles, though it she probably didn't have any chance of going if Leo had anything to say about it. And as the leader, he sure did.

" Aw, come on, why?! " Audrey protested, folding her arms.

" You know why, " he said sternly. " I'm not bringing my girlfriend into our arch enemy's turf. "

Audrey blushed while Mikey, Donnie, and Raph made kissy faces.

" Did I say girlfriend? " Leo said embarrassedly, his green cheeks turning pink. " I meant friend, you know that! "

" Yeah, that's definitely what you meant, Leo, " Raph said.

" You're being unfair, Leo! Why not leave behind Donnie, or Mikey? Raph? " she said angrily, stomping out her embarrassment.

" I - they have more training than you! We've done this before, Audrey. You're not coming and that's final! " he said sternly.

" And my training with you is nothing? " she said incredulously. " Am I not good enough to you? "

" That's not - augh! " he exclaimed, grabbing her by the hand and bringing her into his bedroom. Audrey huffed and turned her head away from him stubbornly.

Leo sighed in what seemed to be resignation before pushing her onto his bed. Before she could complain, he shut her up with a kiss.

" Nice try, " she said wryly, pushing him away and folding her arms again.

He let out a growl of frustration.

" Audrey! You know I can't let you come! "

She rolled her eyes and left, and Leo didn't stop her this time.

" Wanna play a game? " she asked Mikey when she found him reading his comics.

He nodded and sat next to Audrey, setting up their video game.

" So, " he said casually, handing her a controller. " You're not gonna let this go, are you? "

" Not a chance, " she replied. " I _am _going to kick your butt though. "

" We'll see about that. " Mikey laughed.

" We will, " she said, looking up at Leo when he came in.

Unfortunately, the real problems were only just beginning.

**Author's Note: So. . .done. It sucks and is very short, I know, I know. I've already begun the rewrite and most of the plotline is written. The chapters will be longer, hopefully, and better. Thanks for reading, seriously, you have no idea how much it means to me. No one ever reads my stuff.**

**I'd like you to know that there will be a sequel and it's called 'The Invasion' (original, I know). I'll probably post it in a month, I'm currently writing it and working on THAT outline while I work on my rewrite for this book. It'll go more off of season three, and since many of those episodes haven't aired yet, I can't write much. Sorry for the crappy writing, but bear with me.**

**Thanks for reading, it really means a lot to me.**


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